


Bullet Holes & Void Souls

by scottandstiless



Series: I Miss You [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV), teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: BAMF Sheriff Stilinski, BAMF Stiles, Emotional, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Guess Who's Back, Hurt, Injured Stiles, Original Pack, Psych - Freeform, Scott McCall is a Good Alpha, Shot Stiles, Stiles is shot, Stiles-centric, Stiles-whump, Violence, WereCoyote, banshee - Freeform, hostage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-06-09 04:08:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 45,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6889336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scottandstiless/pseuds/scottandstiless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whenever it seems to be going great for the gang, Karma loves to throw some random shit at them. Scott, Malia, Lydia, and Stiles survived the Dread Doctors.. But will everyone survive this? One of the teens is taken down as hostage and used to lure the supernatural to resurrect an old friend, or perhaps a certain 1000 year old spirit once again. Expect Stiles-whump/BAMF Stiles and Emotional/hurt Scott.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In the Deep of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> New fic! This might be a long one, might be a short one. We'll just see how it plays out! Enjoy :) comments and kudos are deeply appreciated. Btw, this story will have some graphic violence in it so if you are sensitive please be aware!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Along the chapters, some details are the TV show Psych, (in chapters 2-4), they are mainly the dialogue. Also, I've been having trouble uploading parts of my chapters so I have to figure that out before I add more to the story.

"Scott!... No!!" A bullet was shot. Time seemed to stop as it penetrated the skin, sending hundreds of volts through out his body.  
\--

Nothing had gone right that day. And everyone saw it coming. It was too quiet in beacon hills. Like Deaton once told Scott, it's regression to the mean. The good, the bad, they have to balance each other out. Without the dread doctors tormenting the teens, something was coming. 

And it was bad.

State exams had just finished, SATs were finally taken by the group of teenagers who never thought they would even make it alive to senior year. Scott, Malia, Lydia, and Stiles all sat down at the library table on the Monday morning.

"You guys feel it?" Scott asked, tense.

The rest of them nodded. "Something's coming.. I can't tell what.. I don't know what. It's like a dead feeling in me but it's bad." Lydia glared at Scott who was focused on Stiles.

A dead feeling.

The last few occurrences had flashed in Stiles' eyes. He remembered the blood on his hands after killing Donovan earlier that year. He could never forget it, he could never forgive himself for it. The darkness around his heart..

He felt it getting darker.

As for Scott, nobody really knew where this reform of the alpha came from. They all know he was strong.. But this was just incredible. His grades were good, his mom is doing fine, hell he even calls his dad sometimes. But all good things must come to an end.

And Malia is good too. She's been trying to give Stiles space, and Lydia too. But she felt it. She felt the shrouding darkness. But she knew it wasn't anything that the gang couldn't handle. What else was left? Demon babies? Dragons? Trolls?

Or maybe it was someone they've already met.

Lydia hasn't been herself ever since she was taken to Eichen. Everywhere she went in school, whispers began and looks were darted at her. But she'd gotten used to them and ignored them. She felt stronger, physically, and mentally. Lydia was lost on how she felt about Stiles. But it was okay. Stiles knew that.

"Look out for each other, okay?" Scott asked of the group and received a nod from each before they all went to class.

It was just another normal day.

At a normal school.

At a normal city.

Wait, are we in the wrong city? Beacon hills is anything BUT normal.

The gang met at Scott's house after school, for a pack meeting more specifically.

"Guys, we gotta get prepared." Scott said as they all stood around the table.

"But how do we prepare for something we can't see coming?" Malia asked. They all turned to Lydia who wore a blank face.

"We have to expect the unexpected," Stiles answered. "I mean, what if it's like Theo again -- I hate to say I told you so but I was kinda just a little right about Theo being a little evil bastard," Stiles admitted with a sly grin forming at the corners of his mouth. 

"It's not Theo." Lydia answered back.

"W-what? How do you know that?" Stiles pursed his lips.

"I just know alright? It's not him." Lydia claimed.

"Then who could it possibly be?" Malia asked.

Scott got out a large piece of paper and a pen and started writing down ideas. "Maybe, it's related to the Argents again. I mean, everything kinda just leads to them again." He wrote down 'the Argents' and circled them.

Lydia came over and wrote 'Peter Hale'. Malia darted her a look. "What-- sorry." Lydia smiled a bit.

"Nah, it's probably him anyways." Malia blurted.

Scott gave Stiles a look. "It's- its progress," Stiles backed her up. Stiles wrote down 'Kate Argent'. 

"Whatever happened to her anyways?" Scott asked. Nobody had seen her since and they all assumed she was dead.

"Probably in the ground in Mexico." Lydia joked.

"But we don't know she's dead for sure. Last time we thought that she was resurrected as a blue hyena were-beast human thing." Stiles said. They couldn't rule her out. The gang all continued to write down the names of people who could possibly be after them. The list ranged from the last of the Twins, and the men from Mexico, to Gerard and even Derek Hale.

Hours passed, books closed and the teens yawned. By 9 o'clock, Melissa had come into the house, tired, only to find exhausted teenagers snoring on the diner table.

The slam of the door by the un-expecting mother woke up Scott who was startled.

"M-mom?" Scott sighed and rubbed his eyes. He looked around to find Stiles' face lying in between the pages of a Beacon Hill yellowpages book. Lydia was lying against Malia. "What time is it?" He asked groggily,

"Scott honey, it's 9. Guys, wake up. You gotta get some actual sleep, you all have school tomorrow." Melissa spoke. Scott tapped Stiles on the shoulder who finally woke up shortly after Malia and Lydia. "You're all welcome to stay over night though," She smiled nicely.

"Thanks," Stiles sighed, "but I gotta get home before my dad freaks, Malia, Lydia, I'll give you guys a ride." Stiles got up and put his coat. All three of them went to the door and was followed by Scott and his mom. 

"You sure you don't want to at least stay for dinner?" Melissa asked sympathetically. She received a polite decline from all three who didn't want her to go to extra trouble. She wished them a good night and left them with Scott.

"Okay, guys just don't overthink it. Maybe, things really are turning around. We'll meet at school tomorrow, see you guys." Scott said goodbye as the teenagers got into Stiles' jeep and he drove the two girls home.

Stiles drove as he looked in the car rear view mirror and saw Malia staring at him.

He knew that she knew he was anxious and tense. Malia could smell it off him a mile away. It was a long silent ride home before Stiles finally dropped Malia off at Mr. Tate's house. Stiles drove to Lydia's home at last. Before Lydia opened the car door, she held onto Stiles' wrist. 

"Please text me when you get home.. Just so I can sleep with reassurance." Lydia gave him a gentle smile and left to her home.

Stiles turned up the radio a little and began his ride home. It took a few minutes between Lydia's and his home, but he didn't mind. What he did mind was the fact that he could hear his engine deteriorating over the radio playing.

Stiles pulled over and got out his dreaded toolbox and pulled up the Jeep's hood. He played around with the parts until something distracted him.

A shadow was cast. Crunches against the wet, rained-on pavement sent fear through Stiles' mind. He turned around.

No one was there.

He ignored it and went back to fixing his jeep. The sounds approached him and came closer until Stiles felt an incredibly powerful blow to the head.  
That's when darkness entered and clouded the corners of his eyes all while his body collapsed.

The figure stood in the pavement, it's shadows showing something familiar.

Claws and a gun.


	2. The Car

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally uploaded this chapter, half of it was missing. I tried several times to add the second portion (it was big in the plot) but it never worked, I tried deleting and then uploading it again but still half was missing. So I'll upload this second portion as another chapter :)

Stiles opened his eyes. Pitch black darkness surrounded his eyes as he body jumped up in a down. Where the hell was he? 

He felt excruciating pain when he tried lifting his head. A dizzy spell came over him as he fidgeted with his hands that were tied up with rope. Stiles' vision cleared up finally. He realized he was in the trunk of car.

He realized he was kidnapped. 

\--  
Lydia called Scott later that night.

"Scott, did you get anything from Stiles? He was supposed to text me when he got home but it's been half an hour." Lydia spoke on the phone. Why hadn't Stiles called her back as she thought?

"He probably fell asleep, he's probably fine Lydia. If you call him and wake him we'll just have a grumpy Stiles tomorrow." Scott laughed a little on the phone. But he secretly was worried also. It's not like Lydia to be so worried over a text like this.

"Scott.. What if--" Lydia stopped herself and sighed. "You know what you're probably right. I'll see you tomorrow," Lydia quickly hung up the phone. She thought about texting Stiles but then she stopped herself. Instead, she laid down on the bed, thinking of all the possible scenarios in which Stiles could be in. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe his car broke down. Maybe he forgot something somewhere. Or maybe he just fell asleep.

It was now 10 p.m., the time Sheriff Stilinski would finally come home. John left the station and showed up to his house. He saw an empty space.

The space where Stiles always parked his Jeep.

The sheriff called Stiles.  
No answer.  
He called again.  
Another time.  
One more time.  
It took 3 rejects for the sheriff to become worried.  
Maybe he's home and just sleeping. 

John entered the house. It was dark, empty, and most importantly quiet. "Stiles? Stiles.. Are you here?" He asked loudly through the house. He heard an odd noise from Stiles' bedroom. He marched up to his room, ready to scold Stiles for scaring him. "Stiles--" The sheriff stopped when the door slammed open, only for him to find Stiles' backpack not touched. His window was open and produced the sound he heard so he closed it. Where the hell is this kid? He officially started panicking when he realized Stiles' police board hadn't been touched since this morning.

He drove to Melissa's house immediately and knocked on their down. A tired Melissa opened the door frantically. "John.." She smiled. "Er--Do you need something?" She asked him quietly. Melissa knew John. He would never come if it wasn't important.

Scott walked down the stairs and walked up to the door and received a glare from his mother. "Hi Melissa.. Scott. Have you seen Stiles? He's not home." The sheriff asked. He shook his hands pensively in his pockets.

"No, um he left with Malia and Lydia around 9. I'm pretty sure he drove them home. Have you tried calling?" Melissa explained as she looked at Scott. Scott gave her a confused look back.

"Yeah..." He sighed. "Multiple times and no answer. His jeep is missing from the driveway too." The sheriff said. He was wondering as if he should declare Stiles missing, even though he has to be missing for a full 24 hours.

"Wait what? Lydia called saying he was supposed to text her back when he was home." Scott admitted. The sheriff rubbed his hands over his anxiety-ridden face. But if anyone could go missing and still end up fine it was Stiles. He knew that. But the thought ate at him. What if he crashed the jeep again? What if it was someone else? 

Scott looked at his mom who immediately went up and got dressed, as did Scott. Scott called a very nervous Lydia and Malia. 

"Scott, I told you! I knew it- I -I just felt it! I felt something!" Lydia scolded him as she stayed close to Malia.

The sheriff butted in to make a point. "Wait, Lydia said she felt something?" He glared at Scott who nodded. "Well can't Lydia predict when someone is going to die!?" John felt an immense dark chill go down his spine as he looks at Scott. He didn't even need an answer to know what was going to happen.  
\--  
Stiles rubbed his hands against the trunk's bottom to loosen the rope but it didn't work. "Damn it!" He whispered.  
He felt suffocated in the small space. He needed something sharp to cut the rope.

His keys.

Immediately he fumbled his hands to reach into his pockets. "Come on, come on!" He whispered to himself as he arched his back and his keys fell out of his pockets. "Yes!!" He yelled out in despair. 

Stiles frantically and nervously took the key's teeth to the rope as it slowly frayed the ends until it was thin enough for him to pull apart. Finally, he had gotten out of the rope and untied the rope around his ankles. 

How the hell do I get out now? Stiles thought as he banged on the trunk cover, realizing that maybe the kidnapper would figure out he freed himself. Then he saw the bump of the encasing of the car's rear lights.

Stiles remembered something his father taught him as a kid. If you were ever stuck in a trunk, because knowing Stiles he would be sometime in his life, then kick out the lights in the back. They'll fall out and catch any police officer's attention. In some cases, they might even budge the trunk cover if it's close to the cover. It was Stiles' only option. He figured they'd been driving for about 20 or so minutes.  
He reached in his pockets for his phone.

Damn it. Of course no cell reception. Just his luck.

Maybe a text would send through. But it couldn't.  
There was no way it would make it.

Stiles finally gathered his will power and kicked strongly at the lights. It popped out and dangled by some wires. He saw a glimpse of where the driver was. A dirt path it looks like.

And some orange cones? Yellow Reflector lights? Construction. They were driving on the outskirts of Beacon Hills, right near the preserves that hid the Hale House.

Where the hell was Derek anyways? Stiles thought. Then he realized he should focus.

He quickly pulled his phone and texted Scott a ridiculous text but he didn't have the time for spell check so he had to deal with it.


	3. The Texts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having the hardest time uploading chapters so this will have to do for now :( Comments and kudos are always appreciated!

Stiles frantically typed a crappy text to Scott.

"Tkn left jeep o cones ylw rflctor hale" 

He pressed send but who know whether it would even make it to Scott.

The car came to a halt and shot Stiles against the rear end of the car with a groan. The mysterious figure came out of the car and out popped Stiles who jacked the trunk. He jumped out and ran for his life, not even looking back at the person who kidnapped him.

At that moment, Stiles felt an immediate blood rush in his head. The view from his eyes was dazed but it would do for now. He went immediately towards the woods when another guy, the henchmen, stalked him. He had a gruff bear-look. But Stiles couldn't think about that. He just had to run. He ran to opposite way of Beacon Hills, a stupid play on his part. Stiles maybe could've hid in the Hale house but who knew what was in there. Stiles ran as he ripped a piece of his grey sleeve off his shirt and tied it to the branch. He felt the back of his head's wound oozing blood, but then it went numb and suddenly it didn't hurt anymore. He knew if his father found this then it would signal his presence here. Stiles turned back to see the man had lost him in the way.

The sound of a gun that was shot went off as the bullet flew right for Stiles' right shoulder, who screamed for his life. It hurt like a bitch but he couldn't stop. All he saw was the blood seeping into his shirts sleeve. It dripped down to his hands.

Stiles could only hear the wind smack against his ears and his heavy panting.

He tore part of his shirt and wrapped it around the wound. It acted as a tourniquet but the pain.. It seemed to stop, and it felt numbing. A minute after, he continued running and texted Scott once again. 

"Binshot" - Stiles.

\--

At this point, Scott and the others had made it to the sheriff station. Melissa had to fill out a report as she was a "witness". The sheriff sent out an APB on all units in search for Stiles. Scott paced pensively as he thought of how he could reach Stiles. Maybe Lydia still has an emotional tether to him.

"Lydia, you feel anything?" Scott asked.

"Other than the overwhelming fear that something bad is going to happen? Nope." She pursed her lips. Everyone knew this meant trouble.

Scott's phone vibrated rapidly as everyone stared him down.

"Is it Stiles!?" They all shouted at Scott to open the text.

It was.

"T-K-N, less than symbol, jeep, o-cones, y-l-w r-flctor.. Hale." Scott read the text out loud.

"Is he screwing with us?" Malia asked bluntly. "What the hell does any of that mean. Scott's phone vibrated once more. 

"Binshot" He pronounced it as binshit. Scott gave the sheriff his phone.

"Uh uh maybe, these are like code. You know what you kids do with all this texting nowadays." The sheriff looked at the texts and whispered to himself the first text over and over, analyzing every letter. Melissa chuckled to herself over the older man's "text talk".

Scott continued pacing and repeated the first part of the text to himself. "Binshit. Bin shit. Bin shot. Been shit. Bin shot. Been shot." Scott stopped as soon as he heard it in his head. "Oh my god." 

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Scott.

"Scott, honey, what is it?" Melissa asked tenderly.

Scott turned around to face the group. 

"Been shot. Stiles' been shot." The words made him feel like his heart sunk into his rib cage. Scott had one duty in his life, to protect Pack. Stiles is pack. Stiles is taken, or hurt or whatever.

He failed Pack.

He failed Stiles.

\--

Stiles ran through the woods, zigzagging so he would mess up the trail of the young man stalking him. Why did they want him, out of all people anyways?

What was so special about Stiles?

Stiles ran until he came up to a road he's never seen before. A small little shack was the only thing in sight for miles. The wind chimes that played its music hung from the door of the small building. Stiles panted for breath as he ran up to the door frantically.

He knocked in it loudly. "Hello? Is anyone in there? Please.. Please answer" Stiles gasped for breath in between as he grasped his wounded arm.

A shadow lurked behind the door screen. They slowly opened the door.

"Please! Please I-I've been shot and there's these two guys following me and I can't and I just need to talk to my dad--" Stiles' fast ranting was interrupted by the young man who opened the door. Stiles looked inside the building that seemed to be some sort of auto part garage.. Without any cars. Or garages..?

"Woah kid, alright, slow down.." The young man's slick black hair was combed back and glistened in the sunlight. He looked around into the woods as if he were looking for someone. 

"Please I just need a phone," Stiles panted. 

"Alright, alright. You said someone's following you?" The man asked the hurt teenager. Stiles nodded back.

The man looked past him again as if he were searching for someone. Then he went in as if to grab a phone in one hand.

Instead, he came back to Stiles with a fist and before Stiles could protest, he punched him forcefully and knocked him down. Stiles slammed his head on the porch of the building and blacked out.

Darkness clouded Stiles' mind as he lost consciousness.

Darkness seemed to do a lot of that to him.

\--

Meanwhile at the sheriff's station, Parrish informed the sheriff with some news after Scott decoded a text.

"We found his car, off the corner of Main.. Right near Lydia's house." Parrish gave her a glare as he handed John a paper with a map, the location of Stiles' jeep was marked. "We are sending out some officials right now and we've placed out an APB and a 10-57 on all units. We'll find him." Parrish put his arm on John's shoulder to comfort him.

But John didn't need comforting. He's a Stilinski damn it! They don't let emotion get in the way of their job.

"Can't you get like a scent or anything?" The sheriff asked Scott.

"No, nothing's strong enough. It's like, he's here, but he's not." Scott sighed as he looked at his phone. Parrish looked over his shoulder and Scott showed him the texts.

"T-k-n? Taken? Lesser sign Jeep? What is this?" Jordan asked Scott.

"Taken.. Stiles was kidnapped? And wait.. That's not math that's a left arrow! He left his jeep. You guys aren't gonna find him there." Scott discovered. Why. Why did this happen to Stiles though. Why would anyone want the human?

"Wait," the sheriff stopped what he was doing. "Let me take a look at those texts." He demanded as John stared at the phone. "Y-l-w. Yellow, that's yellow reflector. O-cone? That's an orange cone. Hales.. That's the hale house, I think,"John's face brightened up as he finally seemed to get some answers.

"So Stiles playing a hide and seek game with us?" Malia scoffed at them. What other reason would it be. 

"No." John turned around and faced them. "He's giving us clues." 

"Lydia do you feel anything?" Scott asked tensely as he paced back and forth.

"No.." She lied. Of course she felt something. She's felt it ever since the nogitsune took over Stiles. It's the darkness around his heart. And it used to be unapparent. But lately..

The darkness?

It just keeps growing.


	4. The Woman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been informed that some users aren't seeing my notes. I've had unfortunate luck in the last two days so here is some clarification! Chapters 2-4 are based on the plot of an episode of Psych, "Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark," just for citing purposes :) everything else is my fiction product. Also, chapter 2 is extremely short because half of it was cut off. The second Half is now chapter 3 so that should be resolved. I tried deleting chapter 2 and re-uploading but I had no luck and ended up delete multiple comments in the proccess :/ . Thank you, comments are appreciated! :)

The sheriff, Scott, Malia, and Lydia all drove in one car with Parrish and Melissa in the other.

"I think I know where Stiles is, by the preserves on the outskirts by the county. There's some construction going on before you reach the Hale house. That's where we should find him." Parrish's voice boomed over the radio. 

It was gonna be a long night.  
\--  
Stiles woke up in a daze. His eyes adjusted to the point where he could see a figure in front him. His hands were tied to a chair, his legs too.

A small sense of relief was found when he noticed a large bandage pad was slung over where the bullet has stunned him.

He groaned as he tried to move but he stopped after making too much noise. Stiles brought attention to himself.

"He's awake," the younger man who had followed him into the woods had grumbled. Stiles wondered who he was talking to. He looked around but the teenager was still dizzy.

"Stiles.. How nice of you to drop by," A familiar voice softy said as the figure moved out of the shadows. Who it was stunned Stiles. "Sure is great to see you, without her." The figure got closer as she smirked. Stiles knew that voice, that tone.

The Desert Wolf.

"What the hell are you doing?" Stiles whispered as he gritted through his teeth. The woman pulled out her claws and traced Stiles' jawline.

"Just meeting up with my favorites. I just wanted to know who my daughter's... significant other really was." She smirked.

Stiles looked away. "You aren't going to hurt her." 

"Oh, but it's not her Stiles. No, no, I never wanted her. It's you that I want." The desert wolf placed down her gun on the table. "You see Stiles, I know things about you. I know all about the nogitsune and your history with it. The thing I don't know about you, is why everything always comes back to you. I mean, you're only human right? Why would a 1000 year old spirit want with a weak, stubborn human?" The woman grabbed at Stiles' cheeks with one hand, forcing him to look at her. 

"He's gone. We got rid of him. And he's not coming back so you should really re-think your plan." Stiles snapped back stubbornly. He couldn't let her get away with saying all those things.

"Oh, but he is." The woman came close to his face as she whispered to him. "And you're gonna help bring him back," She smirked.  
\--

Parrish and Melissa tracked Stiles' phone until they found the rode that his Jeep was abandoned at. Sheriff Stilinski and the teens followed behind as they came out of the car and met up with them.

"Any leads?" The sheriff asked the deputy.

"No, only dead ends. We pinpointed where the texts were sent but the location seems to not even be located on the map." Parrish explained, who in return was given a confused look from Scott.

"What do you mean, not even on the Map?" Scott asked.

"The coordinates? Not even existent. This place probably isn't even registered as an actual landmark, because it's not forest either. It's kinda just.. Land." Parrish finished off. The sheriff had too much on his plate. He had no idea how we going to find Stiles as he pulled Scott to the side for a private conversation.

"Do you remember what happened last time Stiles went missing?" The sheriff rubbed his hands down his face, exhausted.

Scott nodded. Ugh, the nogitsune. He couldn't even give that a thought.

"Okay, well what if it's something like that? Maybe, maybe we can get Malia to track a scent?" The sheriff suggested and Scott agreed. It was their best shot. Scott agreed to drive the jeep back to Stiles' house while the sheriff drove with the two girls. Parrish and Melissa continued on to look for stiles on the darkness of the night.

\--

It was dead silence for a minute until the Desert Wolf went on to continue her ramblings. Stiles forced himself against the ropes but all he got were burns running across his wrists. 

"No, I won't let him come back. He's gone, locked away." Stiles declared. His voice was raw and had a dark tone to it, but he spoke the truth.

"Funny you say that, because you're gonna be the one helping me do it," The woman snarled. Stiles kept his head down. He couldn't fall prey to this woman. Maybe she was just playing mind games she get Stiles off his game.

"It's all too true, Stiles" She paced back and forth, placing her gun in her back pocket as it dangerously hanged out. "I'm not gonna kill you. I'm gonna come close, but you shouldn't die. Because I just need you to be at such a vulnerable condition that Scott would have no choice but giving you the bite." 

"I don't care what you do to me! You can't hurt them, and Scott would never do that." Stiles grumbled, knowing what was coming.

A smack up across his right cheek one, right below his eye.

He felt the bruising start surplus. 

Damn it, it hurt like hell. It took Stiles a few seconds to recuperate after he made a loud grunt.

"Like someone you might have known once said, if you want to make someone feel pain, attack someone they love." She started to say out loud. The desert wolf then came in closer to Stiles who tilted his head back. "Because the thing is with emotional pain, it demands to be felt." The words rang in Stiles' ears and he knew he was in for a beating.

"Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" Stiles looked at her dead in the eyes.

"Frankly, I think your more afraid of what you know your capable of doing Stiles." She replied back to him, the corners of her mouth were starting to curve into another perky smirk. "I don't need your pathetic, scrawny body Stiles, or your supernatural friends. In fact I should've been done with them a long time ago. The redhead? She doesn't even know that she's next," She retaliated.

"Shut up!" Stiles leaned forward and jumped in his chair at her, only to be stopped by the ropes.

"And your True Alpha Scott McCall? He better stop saving other people and try to save himself. And what's that small werewolf? The cute one? Oh yeah, Liam that's right. He'll make a great beta in my pack." The desert wolf paced around Stiles in circles. 

"Don't even freaking touch them!" Stiles yelled at her, fury fueled up in and he felt like he was going to explode.

"I just want you, Stiles, I want that power you have that makes you different from any other human. The one the nogitsune is so attracted to. And the nogitsune strength will be in mine. I need you in my pack. I want void Stiles" 

"You must be crazy if you think I'm going to fall for that," Stiles mumbled in his raw voice. But he felt it. The darkness that Deaton said would always be around his heart. It's there, and it's gettin stronger and stronger while Stiles gets weaker.

"No, I'm Insatiable." She whispered before she left the teenager under the hands of the two gruff looking men.


	5. Damnatio Memoriae

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Onward, and upward!" Haha, let's continue. There is another reference of Psych episode 4x09 when Stilinski explains how he knows it's Stiles in the chapter and in the next. Also the chapter title is from the episode of Teen Wolf in season 5, I thought it fit well in this chapter. Comments and kudos are thanked for :)

The sheriff drove with the two teens in the car to his house. He looked in the rear view mirror to look at Lydia every few seconds. She looked tense. Too tense, as if she's trying to hold something back.

"What?" Lydia caught his glare in the mirror. The older man sighed. 

"Do you feel anything?" He asked prominently. The sheriff continued driving as he looked to Malia. She was trying to be strong but the man saw in her eyes, the fear, the worry. He had no idea whether Stiles and Malia were still together or not but he was sympathetic for her, because no else cared for Stiles like she did. Besides Lydia. 

Lydia was silent. "Just be honest, I can't handle anything but the truth," The sheriff reiterated. 

"Honestly? Honestly. I don't know if this is real, or if this is a ruse, or if Stiles really was kidnapped but I've had this feeling. And it just can't let me sleep. I can't sleep without knowing Stiles is okay at night, that he got home safe. And the one time I ask him, this happens. So yes, something terrible is gonna happen. Yes, Stiles is in danger. But no, I don't freaking know if he's gonna die!" Lydia ranted. She received a strange look from Malia and the sheriff.

"..How long have you had this feeling Lydia?" Malia asked In a caring way. 

"Ever since the nogitsune killed Alison.. When Stiles killed her, and Aidan." Lydia declared. Her words sent a tremble down John's spine.

It's happening again.

"When Mrs. Blake took you, Melissa, and Chris hostage, we couldn't find you without doing a risky experiment, it would have an effect on us. Stiles, Allison, and Scott were sacrifices, and they died and came back to life, but then we found out where the Nemeton was that day." Lydia explained.

"Wait what?! Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" The sheriff countered. 

"Because, that was when Stiles was taken over by the nogitsune. He left a door in his mind open and allowed him in." Lydia stopped before she almost started to drop tears down her cheeks.

"Then what was the effect on you guys?" Malia asked as she reached for Lydia's hand.

"There would always be a darkness in them. For as long as they lived, and it was up to them to keep it pure. But even the strongest people go weak." Lydia repeated the words Alan Deaton had once said as she replayed the day in her head. She remembered seeing Stiles hold his father's bent badge.

The sheriff sighed as he got closer to the home. "And that person is Stiles" That was the last thing spoken before he parked the squad car in the driveway.

He saw Scott pulling out of the jeep and met up with him. Malia and Lydia followed him into the house.

They all ran into Stiles' abandoned room. 

"Um.. Malia here," Scott handed Malia his pillow that Stiles never slept Without.

Malia grabbed it and got a good Whiff of it. A scent lurked on it, the smell of heavy aftershave, but also the stench of anxiety and stress.

"What is Stiles so stressed about?" Malia asked after smelling the pillow.

"You got a scent?!" Scott bursted as Lydia came into the room. Malia nodded.

"But it's not much. It's like, I know he's here, but he's not." Malia explained. She wore a worried expression. What does it mean? Scott and the sheriff all looked at Lydia, expecting some sort of explanation.

"He's gonna die." Lydia whispered in the silence where it echoed like a scream.

Lydia froze. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move. She hated herself so much at the moment. Malia quickly ran out the room.

"Well! What are you waiting for, let's go find him!" Malia turned back at the doorway and yelled at them. "We aren't gonna let him die." 

They all quickly ran out of the house after Scott grabbed Lydia's hand. "We're gonna find him, he's gonna be fine."

Scott left the jeep parked in the side of the road and he sat in the front car side by the sheriff. 

"Ok, where are we going?" The sheriff started the car up again. The lights flashed in the dark of the night.

"I think- I think past the preserves. I can't really tell. Just drive until we get there." Malia explained. 

The sheriff tuned into the radio and connected to Parrish. "Parrish, where are you guys?" 

The dispatch came in through staticky. "We checked the school and the hospital, no luck. We're gonna head over to the construction by the preserves." 

"Alright, we'll meet you there, en route. Don't wander off when you get there Deputy," The sheriff finished off as he turned on the radio to all units.

"Searching for a missing teen, Stiles Stilinski, 17, all units out, en route to suspected preserves. All units out." The sheriff said then he turned off the radio. He heard the sirens of the other squad cars roaming around town.

He had hope they would find Stiles.

They had hope.

But you only hope for things when you know the end will be bad.

They all drove until they passed the hale house, bringing vicious memories to the sheriff.

Parrish and Melissa were a few miles in front of them. Parrish came to a full stop when he discovered something after venturing past the construction site near the preserves.

A kicked out car headlight. 

He called Stilinski on the radio once again. 

"John, I think we're close to him." Parrish said on the radio.

Before he knew it, the Sheriff forcefully stopped the car a few yards behind Parrish on the side of the road. He quickly ran out to find Parrish kneeling down at the sight of the broken headlight.

"That was Stiles." The sheriff claimed.

"How do you know that?" Scott asked, doubtful of the tactics of the sheriff. 

"It's something I taught Stiles around sophomore year." The sheriff explained. "Knowing Stiles, and your.. situation.. I thought he could use some tips." 

Malia backed the sheriff up after picking up Stiles' scent over there. "He's right, he was here." Malia looked around, she picked up a retching stench. 

Something that made the coyote part of her crazy.

"Did you smell something else?" Scott asked her, keeping Lydia close to him.

Malia nodded as she looked towards the forests. "I smell..." It took her a while to note what could have been producing that metallic taste in her mouth. "Blood." She finished.

They all looked at Malia.

Parrish stood up. "He must've ran into the woods!"

"Okay, we'll split up, me and the kids and Parrish you can go with Melissa and look around for any other places he could be." Sheriff Stilinski took control. 

"Damn it Stiles" He thought. That last thing he needed was his only son to wind up dead.


	6. Wind Chimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last of the homage to the Psych episode! Thanks for the kudos and comments :)

The sheriff and the three teens all went into the forests. Malia caught a scent in the air, "I think He's here.."

The sheriff walked towards some branches that looked disturbed until he found a piece of ripped fabric from a shirt that Stiles owned. "Or he's close," he untied the fabric and showed it to the teens. "Another trick I taught Stiles," the sheriff said, proud that his son had been so cautious in this desperate time.

Malia took it and smelled it. She walked forward, and then in ridiculous zig zags that Stiles once took and they followed until she found one more piece of fabric a few hundred yards after. "Where the hell is he?" Malia whispered.   
\--  
Stiles passed out after receiving another jab to the head by one of the younger guys. He woke up from the slamming of a door after some incoherent chattering, but it was a voice talking that he recognized. Parrish.  
\--  
Parrish and Melissa drove past the preserves and onto what looked like an abandoned road. There was nothing for miles until they saw a small building.

"What the hell..." Parrish muttered under his breath. No signs of this place were on any maps or any of the GPSs, let alone the police radar. 

He hopped out of the car as warned Melissa to stay inside in case it wasn't safe. Parrish preceded with caution, his gun in the back of his pocket as he walked up to the porch that was still bombarded by wind chimes and knocked on the door. Too bad Parrish would never realize that a passed out Stiles was still in there. 

The young man who didn't look suspicious at all opened the door. "Well, hello.. Deputy?" He read the name tag.

Parrish peered at him. "Hello sir, we're looking for a teenager, looks like this," Parrish showed him a picture. "Have you seen him by chance?" 

The young man looked hard at the picture, confident it was the boy who was held hostage inside. "Nope.." He pretended to draw his eyes in, as if he were confused. "Why-- is he wanted or something?" 

Parrish looked at him stern-fully, "you could say that."

"Well I'm sorry, I'll be on the lookout. Have a good day, deputy," The odd man said as if he were about to slam the door on Parrish. Parrish turned back and walked to the car.

"Anything?" Melissa asked as he got in.

Parrish shook his head. "No, but there's something really off about that guy. And this place. Let's just keep looking around, this place gives me a bad feeling." The deputy officer continued to drive away and looked out on the veranda for Stiles. He kept driving until he met up with Malia, Scott, Lydia, and the sheriff.   
\--  
Stiles woke up to see nobody in the room, but across the floor from him were his keys, his phone, and his wallet. If only he could make a phone call. Stiles then thought, desperate times called for desperate measures. He leaned back and forth until his weight on side caused him to tip the chair onto its side. Stiles landed with a grunt but he continued by positioning his hand onto the ground. He used his shoe to drag himself against the floor, slowly, inch by inch. Stiles was so freaking close that he felt his fingertips skim the phone screen. 

Footsteps were heard coming as Stiles desperately pinched for his phone before the man walked and caught him. "What the hell are you doing!?" The men yelled as he kicked away his phone. 

"Please, please, I-i know that I might die today. And I've accepted it. I've accepted that I'm gonna die tied to a chair because of some overgrown female Joker. But please just let me make a phone call, just to say goodbye." Stiles put on his best acting-skills result of a face. He needed a way to make a phone call to the point where somebody smart enough could track it and pinpoint his location. If he tried the station and only got one chance, there's a chance that it would just go through the answering machine and be wasted. 

He needed to call Lydia.

The man looked down at the teen who tried to convince him once more. "Don't you have a girlfriend, or your special one? I just need to say goodbye to mine. Please," Stiles pleaded, knowing all too well that his lying from all these years was aiding him at the moment. He looked around and saw that the man's own phone was on and on the background was a picture of him and a girl. 

"What's her name?" Stiles referenced to the picture.

"Michelle." He replied.

"Michelle Pfeiffer?" Stiles made a witty remark.

"No, even better. What about yours?" The man seemed to genuinely care at this point.

"Malia." The words came out so raw, that even Stiles didn't believe that they were still together. 

Stiles looked around, his vision had started to clear up when he realized there was duct tape over where he was shot. "Man, I mean, you also could've just mailed me home with the amount of duct tape you used on my bullet hole." Stiles fake chuckled in an attempt to soften up the predator. 

The man grumbled then looked around, "alright, but if I hear one thing about where you are or what's going on, I will end you." All sense of sympathy disappeared. He threatened him and kicked the phone over to the boy's hands. 

Oh god thank you, thank you, thank you, finally things are turning around. Stiles quickly dialed Lydia. 

"Stiles?! Oh my god where are you we've been looking everywhere!" Lydia said frantically over the phone. 

"Hey.. I-i don't think we're gonna have much time left." Stiles said quietly on the phone as the man listened.

"Stiles, what's going on, please, where are you?" Lydia frantically yelled across the phone as the rest of them hounded over the phone call. Stiles heard Scott asking about a location.

"Please don't ask, I can't answer, if you care, You'll understand,"  
His breaths were heavy and deep over the call.

"Stiles, I'm listening," Lydia reassured him.

"W-we go way back, so back at where we were, I'll be there to say hello," Stiles grinned somewhat as he continued.

"Back? Stiles, I don't --" Lydia was cut off by him.

"And those wind chimes I got you for your birthday? Every time you hear them, you'll think of me," Stiles said, secretly dropping clues about where he was.

"Wind chimes? Stiles, we are gonna find you, you're gonna be alright!" Lydia yelled over the phone.

"Alright let's go, tell her you love her and hang up," The man grumbled.

"I.. I love you--" Stiles was about to end the call.

Lydia was shocked. "Stiles, I think I--" She was once again interrupted by Stiles who brought on false news. 

"-Malia," Those were the last words he said before he hung up.  
\--  
"What did he say?" They all hounded Lydia at the same time.

".. Uh something, something about going back, to where we were.. And- and wind chimes, I don't know. He said he doesn't have time." Lydia stammered.

Parrish glared at Melissa. "Back to where we were, wind chimes. Stiles is at the last place we were just at!" Parrish remembered the vivid songs of the windchimes that dwindled on the building porch.

The sheriff went towards the car quickly, "Parrish, you lead the way, before it's too late," The sheriff went on to call all available units out to the area, including an ambulance.


	7. A Shot in the Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are appreciated! Even if you don't like it, tell me down below! Or maybe you just wanna say hi :) either way. The chapter title is the episode of Psych 4x09, "Shawn takes a shot in the dark"

As soon as Stiles hung up, the other hence man walked in once again, furious at what he saw.

"You idiot! How could you be so stupid letting him use a phone? The cops are probably on their way now!" He yelled at the other man until the Desert Wolf walked in.

"Just let him, it's hopeless either way. Now, we'll just have Scott here quicker. Maybe he'll even witness his best friend dying." She snickered as she loaded her gun.

"Oh and here I was, hoping to invite you over later for some dinner with the old man," Stiles wittily replied before receiving a slight kick to the head by one of the men. He then went on to step on his phone forcefully, smashing it to where the screen went black and made holes.

Stiles tried his hardest to stay awake. He knew that his father and friends would find him. Hopefully. 

The Desert Wolf continued to load a couple of more guns. 

"You do realize that Scott, and your own daughter have the ability to heal?" Stiles said as a matter of fact. 

"Yes, but you don't." She smirked back at him, knowing she had plans.

All of a sudden, tire screeches were heard outside of the building. 

They were here.  
They had taken a shot in the dark for Stiles. To save him.

Stiles had hope he was gonna make it. But before he knew it, the Desert Wolf had dragged him out while in the chair into a second room.

Parrish and the sheriff busted the doors down, armed with their own pistols. "If anyone is in here, remain in your places and put your hands up!" Parrish yelled out as he walked quickly until he reached the room to find a man had jumped him, clocking him the back of his head hard and knocked him out. Scott came in as soon as he noticed trouble. 

"Parrish!" Stilinski yelled out as he dragged him outside of the room. Melissa, Lydia, and Malia came in as well. Melissa knelt down by Parrish and took care of him while the sheriff went back out with Malia and Scott.

The sheriff snuck in, and surprise attacked the man who took out Parrish and dropped him to the ground. John proceeded to place handcuffs on him. 

The second man had tried to sneak up on Malia but she kicked him square in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards as the sheriff then handcuffed him.

The teens followed as the sheriff ventured out deeper into the building, entering the second room and he saw shocked him.

They found Stiles.  
He was all bloodied from his gunshot wound and he had a large bruise running from his cheekbone to underneath his eyes. His body was still tied to the chair and he felt so damn weak from pulling against the rope. His shoulder was duct taped with blood running underneath it, while his head was spotted with blood from when it was bashed by the man. The bruise grew on his face, spotting and bleeding under his skin. 

"Stiles! Oh my god we found you!" The sheriff ran up to him as Stiles started to drop tears onto his cheeks, knowingly all too well what was going to happen. "Dad, you gotta get out of here," he said to his father.

Scott felt someone in the room. "Who's there!"

A dark figure came out from the shadows.

The Desert Wolf revealed herself.

"You." Scott said as Malia growled at her 'mother'. 

"Come at me, Scott, save your little friend." The woman threatened as Malia attacked her first, growing out her claws and fangs. Malia attacked low but was blown off by her like a bug and fell to the ground. 

Parrish came out of the shadows, feeling better now, while aiming his gun at her. The sheriff was untying Stiles at this point. "Dad, stop, you don't know what you're doing!" Stiles protested. If he let him go, the Desert Wolf would take down not just himself but also his father. 

"Stiles, it's okay you don't have to be afraid," John freed Stiles but was too weak to get up.

Scott showed his red alpha eyes as he growled at her. Lydia froze at their doorway. She needed to scream. 

Badly. 

Melissa came over and held her close and pulled her away from what was happening.

"Drop your weapon or I'll shoot!" Parrish yelled out, and then Stilinski pulled out his gun and aimed at her as well. 

"I was hoping for more of a Mexican standoff but this will do," The desert Wolf smirked. The sirens of the local police and the rest of that station got closer. She couldn't expose her self to the public so she had to do what had to been done. 

"Just shoot me," Scott got in front of the gun. "I'm the one you want," 

"Scott, get the hell away from her!" The sheriff yelled at the teen. 

"Aw, look at your alpha stepping up to save a human." The woman mocked.

"Just shoot me!" Scott yelled at her again. Scott closed his eyes tightly.

"Scott!... No!!" Stiles shouted.

A bullet was shot. Time seemed to stop as it penetrated the skin, sending hundreds of volts through out his body. But it wasn't Scott's body.

It was Stiles'.

The bullet had gone right by Scott on purpose and into Stiles' chest as a target who was standing directly behind him. The bullet looked like it hit near his heart. It should've killed him on impact.

His body took a few seconds to process it in slow motion. Stiles' teetered and leaned back and forth until blood dripped from his chest. His knees buckled and gave in.

Stiles collapsed to floor with a paining thud, loud gasps for air escaped his body.

"Stiles!" Scott, Malia and Parrish ran over to the wounded teen to help his father. The sheriff kneeled down as he heard the sirens of the police and ambulances outside.

Lydia released herself from Melissa's grasped and screeched Stiles' name as loud as she could. She ran over to him, tears falling from her puffy eyes.

He was dying. 

Almost dead.

Stiles has short quick breaths. He couldn't breathe. He knew this was how he was gonna die. The Desert Wolf's plan would never work if he died anyways, so maybe it was for the best. He knew he had about a minute before he was lose consciousness. 

"Stiles! Hang on, we're gonna help you!" His father called out to him. 

A small grunt came out from Stiles who winced from the incredible amount of pain that seemed to be numbing. "Scott." He whispered with all of his will power he could gather. Stiles was so strong, he couldn't even let one tear drop once more. But he need Scott to listen to his next words, or else they'll all be dead soon.

"Stiles, don't talk. Okay, just breathe." Scott replied back as Melissa ran in with tears in her eyes. She pressed down on Stiles' chest to apply force to limit the bleeding. He was laying in a pool of his own blood. Scott looked back only to find the Desert Wolf had escaped and then focused on Stiles.

"D-don't give me the bite.." Stiles managed to say before he let out a small gasp and looked into his father's eyes with an apologetic expression. Scott looked over at Malia who Lydia had reached her hand to for support. 

And just as the police and EMTs and had walked in, Stiles couldn't hold any longer. The pain. It was just too much.

His body gave in and his head fell back. His eyelids dropped and closed.

Stiles drew his last breath. The last things he heard was the sound of his father and the nurse shouting out his name as they choked back tears, their voice breaking. 

Because even the strongest people go weak at some point.


	8. The Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let's continue, thank you for the comments and kudos <3

Malia was yelling out his name as she held his head, her teardrops falling into his forehead.

"Stiles, please don't give up," she whispered as she tried to stay strong. She listened for a heartbeat.

It was faint, but still there. 

Like the hope was faint,  
But it was still there.

"Where the hell is she!?" The sheriff got up in a rage, throwing the chair Stiles once sat in away and towards the wall. 

"Scott, go!" Melissa yelled with tears in her eyes. She needed him to go find the Desert Wolf.

To end her.

"Stiles--" Scott said quietly as he embraced Stiles' arm. Instantly he hissed. It was too painful just to hold him close for even a second. Scott winced. There was still pain in his arm. How was Stiles even alive and enduring this insane amount of pain?

Simple. He wasn't.

"Scott, I need you to go!" Melissa yelled at him. She couldn't let him see her in such a state when she needed to be professional. Scott turned back and let a tear slide as he grabbed  
Lydia and Malia's arms and pulled them away. Lydia refused to go and stayed with Melissa.

Malia's eyes glowed blue, in rage.

"I'm going to kill her," She said so quietly by Scott heard it.

"No you're not, we're gonna find her, but we aren't gonna kill her. We can't. That's not us." Scott said hastily, as much as he wanted to kill her, it wasn't in him. 

"That's not you." Malia replied as she ran out the door, and was stopped by multiple police officers. 

The paramedics came running in after Parrish informed them what happened. Multiple hands were on Stiles' still body.

He was so still.

As if he were dead.

Malia walked towards them and pulled Lydia away, hugging her close. 

Scott tuned into Stiles' body as he saw the people laying down things around him. Wires and tubes and IVs and oxygen masks.

There was a faint heartbeat.

Stiles was trying so hard to stay alive.

The sheriff was preceded by multiple police officers who he told him Stiles was a victim in a hostage situation. Which was all true.

But he didn't know that they would end up bringing back a certain 1000 year old spirit in the process. 

The paramedics had no time for triage. If they didn't get Stiles to the hospital now they would lose him.

Within a minute without hesitation, after going through packs of bandages to cover the wounds, Stiles finally on the ambulance. He was being fed oxygen and had two IVs running up his arms.

The pool of blood he laid in was now a crime scene, but the two missing bullets would be lodged inside his body. 

Melissa went in with Stiles inside the ambulance. She covered up her tears and acted as professional as anyone should've been. She called the hospital for them to open up a operating room in the ER.

"We have 2 g.s.w, one to the upper right shoulder and the other appears to be right around where the aorta should be, en route. 5 minutes out." The man boasted over the phone to the hospital.

Melissa was shocked. Most people would've died or bled out within minutes of being shot, meaning Stiles had no time left.

The many EMTs worked on Stiles to keep his blood flowing in his body. One wrong move and Stiles would bleed out in the ambulance.

The sheriff took Scott, Malia, and Lydia to the hospital with Parrish following behind. The police trailed in behind while some officers scanned the crime scene and took in the two men at the building. 

The ambulance got closer to the hospital as Stiles started to flutter his eyes. He made a rasping noise with every gasp to grasp oxygen. 

A minute later he was screaming from the pain and was squirming in the gurney. "Stiles, Stiles stay calm bud we're almost there," the man put his hands on his chest so he wouldn't produce any further injuries. 

"I know it hurts, just stay strong please," Melissa said calmly as she watched an EMT feed a large dose of narcotics into his IV. She became concerned with the amount of drugs now in his system. Melissa held onto his hand and Stiles squeezed her hand incredibly hard she swore he was going to break her hand. The gasps for air reduced as he passed out again, from the drugs.

Just a few more minutes.

A few more minutes for Stiles to get help.

A few more minutes for his father and friends to meet him.

And those few minutes finally passed as they pulled Stiles out of the ambulance and all of them ran in to the hospital. "Stiles, Stiles we're gonna help you!" Melissa called out to the boy who was unresponsive. 

The pulled him into a room in the ER with multiple doctors worrying about the unresponsive teen. They connected him to multiple machines and heart monitors.

"Stiles? Stiles can you hear us?" Melissa said in the chaos of it all.

No answer.

She took a stethoscope and listened to a heartbeat that almost wasn't here.

The monitors started beeping like crazy.

"He's losing a lot of blood," An older doctor yelled out as the nurses rolled in with bags of blood that Parrish had called in for Stiles. 

Stiles opened his eyes to find himself as the source of all the chaos. 

"Stiles?" Melissa shined a light in his eyes. Stiles felt no pain whatsoever. He couldn't move though, he was too fatigued, too dizzy. Too everything. It was as if his body went numb. As if he was in shock.

The doctors analyzed him. The excessive blood dripped from his body and onto the bed. "He's going into hypovolemic shock!" The doctor recognized it instantly.

"Stiles, keep your eyes open!" Melissa hovered over him. They all rushed to feed the blood through an IV while they secured the two wounds.

The doctor analyzed the gunshot wound. "We gotta get him to surgery ASAP, it's a miracle this kid is still alive," he declared as he listened into the faint heartbeat. He was disappearing, fading.

Sheriff Stilinski ran into the ER at full sprint with Parrish, the teenagers trailing behind. "Stiles! Where the hell is my son?!" The frightened older man yelled at a couple of nurses. He then saw a group of adults wheeling out what looked like his son to the opposite way of him. 

Melissa lagged back and came to talk to the sheriff. He saw the dried tear streaks on her cheeks. She was panting, breathing heavily from the intense event. "Stiles.. Stiles went into hypovolemic shock. He just lost too much blood. We're taking him to surgery because we need to repair the aorta in the heart before he arrests." She looked into the broken eyes of the father. "They said it's a miracle he even survived two shots like that," she ended before giving him a tight hug. She tried so hard to not cry. Somebody needed to be strong.

Scott was holding his head, he was going to rip out his hair from going insane. It was his fault that Stiles had gotten into all this supernatural stuff. He thought he was the reason why Stiles might die today. For an alpha, today wasn't his strongest day.

Speaking of strong, Malia was ready to break down. She felt like this was her fault. It was her fault that the Desert Wolf even knows Stiles. She stared at Lydia. She smelled the anxiety, the fear on her. The banshee's screams echoed in Malia's ears. She knew what it meant.

Stiles was going to die.


	9. Chess Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments :)

Stilinski, Parrish, and the teens were all taken to a room to be questioned by officers while Stiles was in the open heart surgery.

The first one was Lydia. She sat across the table from the gruff looking man in a doctor's office. 

"Lydia Martin. Well, you have quite the track record." The officer looked up something on a small computer he brought in with him.

Lydia pursed her lips at him, "It's a work in progress," she quoted someone she used to know.

The man sighed, "You were lost and stranded in the woods, in the nude, in your sophomore year. Junior year you seemed to make some visits to Eichen house? Senior year, you were checked into the hospital multiple times over the course of a few months.. And here we are." The man explained. Lydia said a report that was looking on his phone from the reflection of his glasses.

"And here you are, explaining to me my life I have already lived." Lydia wittily remarked. "Can you get the interview part of the chat?" She asked as she pushed her chair in.

He sighed once again, "Alright, Lydia, in detail, can you please explain to me what you witnessed." 

Lydia froze for a second. She remembered her scream, she remembered seeing Stiles get shot, his greyish body falling to the ground. 

"Lydia?" The man snapped her out of it.

"Um.. Okay.. Stiles was driving Malia and me home at around 9 from Scott's house. He dropped me and her off but he said he would text me as soon as he got home safely.." She seemed to stop.

"And he never did." The man reiterated.

Lydia nodded her head. "Scott called me when the sheriff showed up at his house looking for him." 

"And how exactly did you guys find him?" He asked, suspicious about their tactics.

"We got some texts in which Stiles gave us clues because he didn't know the exact location. It was about a construction site near the Hale house by the preserves. He recognized the area." Lydia explained. "We just went off that and ended up finding him." She left the part out about a were-coyote picking up his scent.

"And what about Jordan Parrish? And Melissa McCall? What were their parts?" He asked prominently. 

"Parrish went with Melissa and looked around the area while we searched around the preserves and they found the building he was at but didn't suspect it. Stiles then called us.." Lydia took a moment to recall the phone call. She remembered the feeling of when Stiles said "I love you" but hesitated when it was Malia. She was so close to saying it back to him.

So damn close.

"And?" The man asked, profoundly curious.

"And it sounded like he was being forced to say goodbye. Like he was only to say goodbye and nothing else or they would kill him." Lydia finished off.

"They?" He asked.

"Yes.. The two men who took him hostage." Lydia left out the Desert Wolf, for the reason to explain why she wanted him would be too risky. "He was dropping clues at where he was at and it lead Parrish to him. Then we found him. He was shot in the shoulder already and he was beaten. Bruised.  
Bloodied. And then she shot him."

"She? Wait," The man caught her.

"He, she, I was kinda focused on telling you the story I didn't think my pronouns would count. It was a man," Lydia saved herself.

The man stared her down intensely over a minute of silence.

"Can I go now?" Lydia asked, profoundly peeved at him. He nodded and she causally left the room.

"How'd it go?" Parrish and the sheriff asked her while Malia and Scott listened in. 

"He's suspecting one of us to screw up. Just say that there was two guys. No desert wolf. --Oh and say like Stiles was close to catching them in a crime or something, you have to cover the real story up." Lydia said quickly and looked back to find the officer staring at her through the window. She went to sit down in the waiting room as sheriff Stilinski and Parrish went in together. 

"Sheriff, Deputy" The man greeted them as they sat down. The officer had a gruff peculiar look and a smirk that seemed to hide something. Stilinski looked at Parrish with concern.

"There's one part of the story, er -- um situation excuse me, that I'm still not familiar with." He said to the two men sitting across him. "Why exactly was Stiles Stilinski, the son of the town's sheriff, targeted as a victim?" He asked. He had a sly look that seemed like he already knew the answer. But it was impossible,  
He couldn't know, even Lydia and Scott and Malia don't know the real reason.

Sheriff Stilinski laid back in the chair and crossed his arms. "Well, you see, Stiles is.. A really curious kid per se. I guess he was just at the wrong place, at the wrong time. He probably saw something he wasn't meant to see." The older man said as he covered up the story. But even lying about it made his stomach retch because he wanted nothing more than to keep Stiles safe.

"And I hear Parrish was the one who found Stiles?" He asked.

"Well Parrish was the one who connected the dots about his whereabouts so yes indeed." The sheriff smiled at Jordan who needed to claim his pride.

"Okay then, you can go." The officer looked on the phone screen.

"That's it?"Parrish asked. "No details, no interrogation, no nothing?"

"Well I mean unless you're hiding something, which I assure you would be most highly unethical of you." He chuckled at them. Parrish and Stilinski glared at each other. "You know the drill guys, anything you say can and will be used against you." The two men's eyes widened.

"I'm just messing with you. Loosen up sheriff." Then the officer started to pack his things. "I wish the best for Stiles," he said before leaving the room. 

John was still laid back in his chair with his arms crossed. "What the hell just happened?" He quietly questioned as he got up with Jordan and left. 

Malia and Scott came up to them. "Does he need to speak to us?"

John Stilinski looked at Scott with a disapproving face. "I suppose you were listening in long enough to know that he doesn't." A smile started to dance on the corners of the sheriff's mouth. 

"Well what do we do now?" Malia asked as Lydia walked up to the group. 

"We wait." She said. "For The Desert Wolf. She had the perfect aim to kill Stiles in one shot, right through the heart." 

"Yeah but she did shoot him in the heart." Scott said.

"No, she shot him in the aorta, a vessel that brings blood into the heart. If she really wanted to kill him, she would've shot right through the heart's ventricles for an instant kill." Lydia explained.

"So what are you saying? That she needs Stiles in a vulnerable stage?" Parrish asked.

"At the point where he needs saving because his body is so weak." Lydia assumed.

"But why Stiles?" Malia asked. 

"Because he has the most to lose as a human. And also to throw us off our game." Lydia said. She didn't know if this was the real reason but she just had a feeling.

"Stiles is the pawn in her chess game." The sheriff said.

"Then who's the king?" Scott asked.

A figure entered the waiting room swiftly. It was someone they all recognized instantly.

"Void Stiles." Theo Raeken's voice boomed.

You could feel the shock and hatred lingering in the room.


	10. To Hell and Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments! Thoughts are appreciated :)

"Theo.. I thought you fell down a hole to hell," Scott snickered.

Malia tried to fight the urge of killing the boy on the spot, right then and there.

"Funny Scott, but true. But I've come back to warn you guys. What I say about Stiles? Also true." Theo warned. He was wearing a hoodie and fitted black pants, but his face looked wrecked and exhausted.

"Wait a second-- I thought you guys killed the nogitsune or the whatever the hell it was," the sheriff said.

"No, we just trapped the source of the power in a box." Lydia said.

"Okay so you guys are fighting old spirits and you get rid of it by catching it in a box?" Parrish asked, curious why they didn't use any other tactics.

"It was either that or we kill Stiles," Scott reiterated as he thought about that year. They had no choice but to change the host. But they all knew the nogitsune left its darkness in Stiles.

Then Melissa walked out of the OR and down the hall to find the group quarreling with Theo. She gave him a glare before continuing to say what she wanted to. "They're in the middle of the surgery right now. Because it's an open heart surgery, It's touch and go. There is a concern with the slug in his shoulder. The bullet hit multiple nerves and ligaments so he might lose a bit of function. The main problem is to fix the aorta so it can pump blood. But there is a catch. This is a very risky procedure because of complications. We don't know what's going to happen but he'll most likely slip into a coma so his body can recuperate afterwards." 

The sheriff looked away as he felt a tear in his eye. "But, but if he does he'll wake up right?" He asked, she heard the pain in his voice.

"We can't tell. It's just something that happens. It might be within a few hours... A few days or --" Melissa was cut off by her son.

"Never." Scott said quietly. He needed a moment to sit down. He couldn't handle the news.

"Scott, honey?" Melissa said gently to her son as she grabbed her hands. Scott started to get dizzy and found himself panting for breath as if he were having an asthma attack.

But this was different. 

He fumbled around in his pockets for an inhaler which he started carrying around with him ever since he had an attack at school in the beginning of senior year. "Scott, sit down, it's okay just take deep breaths." He heard his mother's gentle voice say. 

Scott felt all of the eyes on him peering at him breakdown before realizing he can't breathe.

He slowly slumped against the wall as he sat down on the ground and finally caught his breath. "Scott, you're okay," he heard the voice of his best friend's father. He felt the older man's hand on his shoulder, reassuring him he was safe.

"It's all my fault he's hurt," Scott whispered. His mom and the sheriff sat down next to him, each on either side of him.

"It isn't Scott, sometimes bad things just happen to good people." Melissa whispered as she wrapped an arm around his body. Scott loved the warm feeling from the love of his mother, but the guilt still overshadowed it.

"I should've been there. I should've went out with him to make sure he got home safe." Scott admitted.

"Trust me, that wasn't gonna happen anyways with Stiles. He's stubborn, but he's a good kid. Nobody deserves what happened to him and obviously the desert wolf, she doesn't want to hurt just Stiles but the rest of us. So maybe we can pack some punches by not letting her hurt us." The sheriff calmly said while thinking about his own son. He couldn't get the image of when he saw Stiles laying lifeless on the ground. The sound of Lydia screaming his name echoed and gave him bad stirrings. 

Malia and Lydia were now sitting on the ground as well, trying to comfort their alpha.

Theo stood. He couldn't stand the sight of seeing Scott, the true alpha he once knew, so vulnerable. He looked up at the clock. 

1:27 A.M. 

When was the last time they actually slept? It must've been two hours since Stiles was taken to the Operating Room. 

They all sat there quietly until Theo then joined them and sat also. "What do you know?" Scott asked him as he started to feel better.

"Mm..I know that the Desert Wolf gets what she wants, when she wants it." Theo replied.

"And she wants void Stiles?" Parrish asked as he gazed at Lydia who seemed to be in another world.

Theo nodded back. "I don't know how she's gonna do it, I don't think anyone does.." 

"A-and what If he dies?" Malia asked hesitatingly.

"Then I guess no Void Stiles," Theo replied back. "But we can't let him die. She wins then." 

"What if Scott bites him?" Lydia asked quietly, her eyes fixed on something in front of her.

"He'll either die, or turn." Malia answered for her.

"No, Stiles wouldn't want it." The sheriff admitted. "Remember Peter?"

"But if he stays human, then he's more vulnerable to being possessed again." Scott countered. Honestly, who even gives a damn about the Desert Wolf when there is a 1000 year old spirit running around town?

The sheriff sighed. "I don't know.. We can't let Stiles go through that again."

That is, if he even makes it.

"He can't go through that hell again," Te sheriff repeated.

"Either way, we're going to hell and back," Theo sneered.


	11. Arrested

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! Next chapter is gonna be exciting :) sorry if anything is medically incorrect. I had to make it shorter then what the actual process would be just so I could get to the story

Malia and Lydia were laying against each as they sat against the wall and fell asleep.

Melissa stayed in her place beside Scott as well as the sheriff. The Parrish was outside taking phone calls from the station for the sheriff who needed his rest. Scott for a minute thought about calling Liam, but he didn't want to scare the younger boy so he didn't.

It's been around 3 hours now since the surgery started. Everyone was tense as Melissa waited for a page to tell her that they finished. The sheriff hadn't closed his eyes since he found his son.

The images of Stiles.

He still couldn't un-see them.

They were burned into his brain. He was sure he was going to have nightmares.

And then a small beep that anyone but Scott would have missed. Melissa looked down at the pager in her hands as it buzzed.

"He's out of surgery," Melissa said. "He's out!" She quickly got up to her feet in her scrubs. 

"Is he okay?" Scott asked quickly as they all got up but let the teenage girls sleeping.

"I don't know," Melissa checked her phone from input received from Dr. Geyer.

Liam's father.

She quickly ran to where the nurses were pulling him out of the OR, Scott in behind her. Melissa was asked to help take him to the ICU and she forced Scott to leave.

Before he did, Scott took a good look at Stiles. His best friend was now a deathly gray skin tone. His bruise on his face seemed to grow and got deeper with the pressure in his body. Multiple wires were running through Stiles. He saw bandage pads and gauze wrapping his bloody chest and shoulder, which now had a sling for his arm. The areas on his chest that wasn't covered in white tape had electrical wires that coursed the blood to his heart and monitored it. On his lower abdomen, Scott noticed a chest tube running into Stiles that terrified him, but he realized that it was draining excess blood from his injuries.

The sheriff came over and pulled Scott away from the scene. He glared at his son. He looked better now.  
He looked clean and less pained.

He looked peaceful.

The doctors transported him to the ICU. It was going to be a hell of a next few hours.

Melissa stopped the sheriff and her son who tried to go into the Intensive care unit after Stiles was settled in.

"I'm afraid you guys can't see him until the doctors are done in a few." Melissa said with a frown.

"Can't you just let us in, please?" Scott begged of her as he felt John's hand on his shoulder.

"Scott, it's okay. He's a fighter," He said quietly to Scott and reassured him.

Melissa mouthed the words "Im sorry" before leaving to go tend to the patient who was her son's best friend.

She met with Dr. Geyer.  
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, we got lost --in all of its chaos." Melissa explained about her last grueling hours roaming around town in the middle of the night.

"Don't worry Melissa," he smiled at her. "Part of me hopes that you guys didn't tell Liam. I don't think he could handle it. He really looks up to Stiles," 

"We didn't. Even Scott broke. Stiles --He just does that to people." 

The nurses finished tending to Stiles as Melissa pulled a cover over his greyish body.

Dr. Geyer looked down at his watch. "You should get some sleep, all of you. I'll watch Stiles tonight, just keep your pager on you at all times in case anything happens," He smiled at her after leaving the room full of beeping machines.

For once, Melissa felt confident about Stiles and his recovery. She took the time to position his head on the pillow so he'd be more comfortable with the oxygen mask he wore.

His breathes sounded even and full. A wave of relief crashed over Melissa as she put her hand over his body.

Burning. His forehead was burning hot. 

She went on and touched his chest that was bare. 

Scorching.

Melissa just left him alone as she looked at wounds on his chest. Maybe it was just a side effect from the anesthesia, and the pain killers.

Melissa went to close the curtains around his bed when she heard a rasping call, almost a whisper.

Stiles opened his eyes suddenly. He used his one good hand to pull down the mask. "Mel-issa," An attempt to say the words came from a conscious Stiles. His voice croaked as he groaned, clearly in a lot of pain.

"Stiles? Stiles it's okay, you're safe now. You're at the hospital." Melissa said repeatedly to Stiles who was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Stiles forced oxygen in and out of his body so he could tell Melissa. He had to let Scott know he couldn't give him the bite. As soon as he was conscious, he felt an immense amount of pain radiating from his body but he was to weak to even wince. "Tell... Scott.. he-" he got out against pain in his body and the dryness in his mouth. He felt gassed out, unlike that time he had too much adderall by accident. Stiles' head fell to the side once again as he fell asleep under the influence of the sedatives. Melissa heard his rasping attempts to breathe against the tubes.

"Stiles?" Melissa softly asked before realizing he was out once again. His heart was racing from the pain but it was not fast enough to bring any concern. The nurse places the mask back on him and ventured on her way out only to be bombarded by grumpy, irritated teenagers.

"Is he okay?" She could only hear Scott's voice over the chaos.

"He-he's fine," she stuttered, "but there could be complications with the surgery. We just have to see when he wakes up," Melissa decided to leave the part about talking to him. "We don't know how well his body is going to handle all the meds and the surgery on top of it, but we'll keep a close eye tonight on him. But you all need sleep. It's like 2 in the morning."

Scott ran his hands through his hair as Lydia and Malia were still cranky from waking up. "That's enough bounty hunting for one day, you guys need a break. Please, just go home and sleep, all of you." 

Scott countered back. "Mom, we're not leaving Stiles," The others nodded in agreement. 

The sheriff rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. "It's fine.. I-i can stay with them. You can go work Melissa," he said. Parrish agreed, "Me too,"

Melissa nodded in a worried way, only to come back with blankets and small pillows for everyone. She gave them all of the items before leaving to her desk to continue working. 

All of the teens fell asleep on the floor, with the exception of Scott who just lied there with his eyes closed. He was literally counting time by. He peered open his eyes and saw the sheriff sitting down, his head dropped down low and his hands were interlocked. John's foot tapped on the floor anxiously and he looked around, as if he were waiting for Stiles to suddenly walk out and greet him with a witty remark about him eating right.

But Stiles was hurt. Badly. And he just couldn't process it. 

Whatever happened to poor old skinny defenseless Stiles? 

He isn't here anymore. It's just Stiles now. Tough, badass Stiles who thinks he screws everything up but really is a hero and has a heart of gold.

Scott forced himself to close his eyes. And it worked for a few minutes. He woke up 15 minutes later at 2:17. "I need sleep," he thought to himself as he forced his eyes once again, only to have a rude awakening.

A loud consistent beep woke up Scott as it rung through his ears. It sounded like a heart monitor as he clutched his ears. Suddenly, Malia woke up frightened with her ears cupped as well. Nurses and doctors were running towards the ICU as soon as someone yelled out, "Code Blue!" 

Scott suddenly got up and ran into his mom. "Mom, what's going on?" The sheriff followed in behind as he looked through the glass doors, only to shock his horror even further. 

The doctors were all huddled around Stiles.

Damn it.

"Scott, stay here! Please!" She quickly said before running into the intensive care unit and to the Stiles' bed, which the doctors lowered so he was lying straight. 

Dr. Geyer was compressing down on his chest repeatedly for a good two minutes while a nurse fed the oxygen through a tight mask on Stiles. "Stiles? Can you hear us?" He asked loudly as the nurse tapped him on the shoulder. "He's going into Cardiac Arrest."

"Unresponsive," Melissa said as she placed two larger pads with wires running through them on the teenager's chest. They were connected to another monitor that started to beep as soon as the other beeped consecutively.

His heart was ready to burst its way out of his chest. 

Dr. Geyer was still compressing down on his chest as he whispered, "come on Stiles! Come on!" The nurses fed nerve blockers and epinephrine into the IV at that point.

"V-Fib! He's crashing," Melissa yelled out as the doctor got out defibrillator pads. He's gonna die, he's gonna was all Melissa was thinking of. There's no way his heart could handle a shock like this.

"Charge to 150." The pads made a static and buzzing noise that would intensify Scott and make him go mad in the halls. Melissa looked back and saw Malia with her hands wrapped around Lydia who was awake now. Her own son was tightly embraced by the boy she was trying to save's father. 

"Clear," The pads pressed against his chest and his body thruster forward.

Nothing.

"Charge to 200." He tried again. "Clear!" The pads repeated themselves but Stiles still didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't pulse.

A long consecutive beep was played for half a minute. 

"Stiles, come on!" He whispered. "Charge to 300!" He pressed the pads together and his heart was jump started as the monitor immediately went back to a beeping pattern. But Stiles' heart was weaker then ever.

"Oh my god" Melissa sighed at relief. They were so, so god damn close to losing him. 

"We gotta intubate, get him on a ventilator," Dr. Geyer proceeded. The nurses did so and Stiles soon had a tube running into his mouth and was hanging on by a thread. "All right," Liam's father sighed. "We would've lost him if we didn't get him on the ventilator." He assessed Stiles quickly in the chaos when he pulled Melissa to the side. 

"Wh-what are you saying? That if we take him off it.. He'll die?" Melissa had dry tear streaks on her cheeks.

The doctor nodded. "It just put too much of a strain on his body. It was too weak to start with, I honestly don't know how Stiles pushed so far but.. There's nothing we can do. If he slips into a coma, there's no way we can get him out. I'm sorry." Dr. Geyer had tried to stay professional. He couldn't let her see him weak, even though he felt the pain for Stiles. She blatantly walked away from him with sniffles.

Scott was mortified over what he heard. She tried to cover it up as she talked to the sheriff. "Stiles.. He had a cardiac arrest, and with the injuries and the heart surgery, he barely made it." Melissa choked back on her tears. "He's on a ventilator now, it's basically breathing for him. And if you choose to take it out, then.. w-we'll lose him." Melissa tried so hard to stay strong.

She hugged Scott so tightly as he silently cried into her shoulder. The sheriff stood there, looking at his son through the glass doors, unable to process it. The feelings, the pain. It just all vanished like that. And it left a darkness around them. It left a void in him.

"Is there anything we can do?" Scott asked in between sobs. Lydia hasn't stopped crying since she woke up. She needed to scream. So loud.

So. Damn. Loud.

Melissa shook her head. They all knew it was the end.

"You have to do it." The sheriff said gently. He turned back and looked at Scott. "You have to give Stiles the bite," 

Scott, after all these years with Stiles' rejection, agreed to it. Stiles spent his entire high school career saving people and risking his life for theirs.

It was their turn. Because they knew he could save him. But they didn't know they would risk their life and everyone in Beacon Hills' life to save his.

They didn't know about the darkness that would corrupt him.


	12. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! They are very much appreciated :)

The nurses and doctors had soon isolated Stiles into his own room. His body quivered every now and then with the drugs in his system. His heart beat was slow and calm, but it was forced by the ventilator, because without it, he would have none.

The sheriff had gone to the bathroom to find where Scott had stormed off in a break of tears. The older man wiped his own tears away before knocking on the door. He heard quiet whimpers and sniffles.

"Scott? Please just open the door so I can come in." The sheriff pleaded as the door was unlocked and he opened it. He found Scott scrawled up against the wall, his knees up against his chest. The sheriff sat down against the wall next to him. 

Silence was the only intruder in the room.

"Can you do it?" The older man asked him, referring to the bite. 

Scott gave a slow nod. 

"Will it kill him?" John asked after.

"There's a chance. But if I bite him and he turns, then it saves him. He'll die either way." Scott got his pride back after a few minutes. He wiped off the tears on his cheek. He hasn't cried that much since Allison died.

"I know it'll be hell, with him turning into a werewolf and all, but I'll risk it if it keeps him alive. I can't lost him Scott. Not him too." The sheriff sighed as Scott nodded, agreeing to the bite as they both got up as soon as they heard a loud scream that pierced their ears.

The sheriff and Scott ran out of the bathroom to find Lydia in a catatonic state, screaming at the top of her lungs and crying while Malia was holding her tightly. "Stiles!" She screamed and thrashed around in her arms. She finally stopped and could only silently cry and mouth his name.

"Scott! What the the hell is going on?" Malia asked as she and Lydia had just woken up.

Melissa looked at them. "Nobody told them?" Scott looked at her with a blank face. "Stiles.. Stiles had a --" Melissa couldn't bring herself to say it, it just broke her too much.

"A cardiac arrest, his heart stopped working and he stopped breathing for a while. He was put on a ventilator that's breathing for him but as soon as we take it off," The sheriff didn't even have to finish for Malia to understand.

She tried so hard to not cry and sob like a bitch, but somehow a piercing pain in her made tears roll down her cheeks.

"Can we see him?" Lydia asked quietly. The people around her in the waiting were still staring at the girl they all thought was crazy.

"Is Scott gonna do it?" Melissa asked about the bite.

"Scott's gonna do what?" Malia interrupted, giving him a scornful look. 

"I'm going to give him the bite." Scott declared.

"No! You can't Scott!" Lydia countered.

"I have to. It's the only way we can save Stiles." Scott explained. 

"Scott you don't understand, if you do, something very bad will happen." Lydia whispered quietly, but the werewolf and werecoyote heard it.

"Lydia? What do you know?" Malia asked her, placing her hand on Lydia's shoulder.

"I don't know.." She whispered. Lydia tried to focus into the voices. She couldn't tell what they were saying.

But they sounded familiar.

A familiar tone of pain.

Of strife.

Of chaos.

Scott started to walk forward. "I'm going to go do it, now." 

"Scott no please! Please don't!" Lydia begged of him as she followed.

"If I don't, he'll die! I'm not going to let him die!" Scott's eyes glowed an alpha red.

The rest of them followed but then Malia stopped. 

"Where's Theo?" She asked. Everyone looked around. 

"I thought he stayed with you guys," Scott said.

"No, I thought he stayed with you," Malia rebutted.

Something was going on. And nobody knew what. Maybe Theo went home for school that morning. Maybe he took a walk. Or maybe he's just faking trying to help them, but of course no one realizes that.

"We have to find him, he knows too much, he's hp to something," Scott reprimanded. 

"I'll go look for him," Parrish stated as he turned around to leave and look for the teenager. 

They all walked down that hall to Stiles' room. It felt like a familiar place. It was the hall Stiles had thrashed his way through as the nogitsune. It brought haunting memories down their spine.

One by one they went in. Scott had to mentally prepare himself for the bite so he let the girls and the sheriff go first.

Stiles' father, John, was the first one to see Stiles. His heart sunk when he saw the multiple tubes running from his body out to the machines and IVs. He was so helpless, but so peaceful.

 

Finally, Stiles had a moment of peace all to himself. 

The sheriff sat down on the chair right against the bed. "Hey kid." He cleared his throat. I.. I don't really know if you can hear me. But, just pull it out Stiles. You have survived so much, this can't be it. You're gonna graduate high school. You're gonna take over as sheriff one day, you're gonna have a family of your own. I remember.." He stopped for a second to smile as memories of a mini- Stiles flooded in. "I remember when you were little, your mom was starting treatment here at the hospital.. And you used to sit on my lap and point at random strangers and tell me all about them. Who they were, their name, what their job was, and it was all just guesses based on how you thought they looked like. But every once and a while.." Stiles' father reached out for his son's hand, holding his palm tightly over it. "Every once and a while. You would get one person so spot on, it was unbelievable." John looked down as he thought about the memories.

Stiles would've made a great sheriff one day.

"Your friends are gonna want to see you but I'll be back. Keep it together bud." He said calmly as he reluctantly let go of Stiles' hand.

"Keep it together." John whispered to himself when he felt himself on the verge of tears.

Malia was next as she entered in and sat down. She felt a bad feeling. But she had ignore it. She pushed the chair closer to the bed and intertwined her fingers with his. "Hey Stiles," she said quietly, knowing he damn well wouldn't respond. 

"Listen, I.. I don't really know what we are. But, I still like you Stiles. And I know that Lydia does too. And that's okay. It's okay if you choose her. As long as your safe, and your okay, I'll be happy." Malia felt a tear roll down her cheek. She had never been so sympathetic to anyone like this expect for Stiles. He always got the best of Malia. "Just pull it out please," Malia looked at Stiles' pale, bruised body. "Please, please, please please, please," she whispered. She had to hurry up because she couldn't stand the sight of seeing the one who always protected her, so weak. 

Malia kissed his knuckle before whispering, "I love you," to Stiles and left the room. 

 

Lydia entered the room next. She felt a presence. Like someone was here but they weren't here. She slowly approached the chair and sat down, listening to everything around her.

She heard a voice and reached out for Stiles' hand. A flash appeared in her eyes as she closed them. A blur appeared. 

A tall figure. 

Claws.

Long hair. 

What was she seeing? How was she seeing it? Lydia couldn't make out the distinct identity but then she realized that she saw wind chimes.

She was back at the scene, but through Stiles' view. 

And just like that, she opened her eyes and gasped, letting go of the one lead she could've had. 

She could hear the whispering.

"Don't do it. Tell them to not do it." 

Lydia listened harder, closing her eye. "Don't do what?" She whispered.

"They can't. He can't do it." 

Lydia talked louder, "who's he? Who is he!" 

"The alpha. He can't do it." The whispers started to get faint.

Lydia demanded an answer. "Scott? Scott can't do what?! Tell me please," Lydia begged.

They were gone. The whispers had disappeared into thin air. Lydia had immediately walked out of the room. "Scott, you can not do this." 

"I'm going to though," Scott said as he entered the room. 

"Scott, no! They warned me! You have to stop." Lydia prominently said, recalling the whispers.

"I'm not letting him die Lydia!" Scott yelled out as he walked up to Stiles with shaky breaths. "I'm sorry Stiles, this is our last chance," he apologized for having to go against his wishes. The sheriff, Lydia, and Malia followed him in. 

"Scott! No!" Lydia protested as she watch in horror. Scott pulled out his fangs secretively and placed them into the skin of Stiles' left wrist, piercing it so blood starts to bubble up. 

His eyes were the first things to open. They didn't glow.

His wounds didn't heal either, except for the two holes Scott had just punctured into his skin. 

The monitor started beeping like crazy once again as doctors flooded in with Melissa. 

They forced the teens and the sheriff out of the room. "Scott! What the hell just happened!" Malia yelled at him and Scott received glared from John and Lydia.

"I-I don't know it's like he's immune!" Scott babbled. Why the hell hadn't Stiles healed if he died. 

They all looked into the room as they saw doctors drawing confused looks on their face. Stiles still looked the same, injuries and wounds and all, but his heart. It was still strained but it's beating efficiently. After a few minutes of silence, the doctors came out. Stiles no longer was hooked up to the ventilator and was breathing on his own.

One of the older doctors came up to the sheriff, "I honestly don't know what happened, but it's a miracle, not science. His heart seems to show conditions of strain from the arrest and the surgery but his breathing is better then ever." The doctor claimed with a blank face as he walked away confused. Melissa was the last one out of the room and pulled the gang into an another room.

"Okay what the hell happened? You did it right? Why isn't he healing or changing?" Melissa asked her son.

"I don't know! He just opened his eyes and started breathing, and where I bit him -- it healed but that's the only place besides his heart." Scott explained all he knew, which wasn't much.

Lydia closed her eyes. She was under water now, her eyes completely open as she felt her body getting pulled out of the water and she saw that she was in a bucket, at Deaton's. She looked around. Stiles, Scott, Allison. They were in buckets too. She was taken back to the day of they sacrificed. Suddenly Lydia snapped back to reality as soon as she heard the sheriff calling her name. 

"Lydia, what is it? What do you know?" The sheriff asked.

She finally put it all together. "The darkness --- around his heart. It's still there, and it's growing." Lydia felt chills back up his spine. "He's back.." 

"Who's back? Lydia what are you talking about?" Malia asked after. 

Lydia trembled at her own words. "The nogitsune." 

The sheriff felt his heart sink into his rib cage until Lydia walked out. They all followed her and asked her questions. 

Lydia opened the door of Stiles' room.

Stiles ' bed was empty with hanging IVs and tubes on it. The window was open and it looked like someone had ransacked the closet with spare clothes.

Gone.  
Stiles was gone.


	13. No Heartbeat, No Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so incredibly long to update! I've had finals and exams all week so excuse my absense but thank you for all the nice comments and kudos! Let's continue :)

"Where the hell is my son!?" The sheriff yelled out loudly as the room suddenly flooded with puzzled doctor.

The closet near the bed was missing a shirt and an extra pair of Stiles' sneakers. 

The sheriff radioed Parrish after Scott realized he was taking long to come back.

"Theo. its Theo." Scott said quietly. "He's in on it!" He glanced back at Lydia and Malia who both wore concerned faces.

"Parrish -- Stiles is missing, any luck finding Theo?" The sheriff boomed over the radio.

"What do you mean, missing?" Parrish replied back immediately.

"Gone. He's not here in the hospital." John reiterated.

"It was the bite. It did something. Stiles.. He can't even breathe on his own, no way he just got up and left." Scott's voice got through to Parrish.

Parrish was outside in the back lot of the hospital. There was a shuffling in between the woods as Parrish drew his gun. 

"Who's there?!" Parrish yelled as it transmitted to the radio that was still on.

"Parrish? What's going on? Where are you?" The group started heading towards the hospital exit as doctors scrambled for the teenager.

"Come out with your hands up!" Parrish yelled as a figure mysteriously lurched forward and the sheriff caught up with the deputy. The werewolves and banshee trailed in behind only to see their injured friend slowly retreat from the shadows.

Stiles.

He looked incredibly confused, and.. And sympathetic.

Stiles walked out, fully clothed, with his hands up in the air as he marched slowly.

"Stiles?" Lydia said as she placed her hand on Parrish, who then lowered the gun. "Stiles."

Stiles took another step closer before another figure retreated from the woods.

Theo.

Stiles stood there silently now with a blank face.

"What the hell did you do?!" The sheriff yelled out as he drew his own weapon towards Theo Raeken.

"Me? You act like I'm the one who bit him." Theo smirked maliciously as the sheriff gave a stare at Scott, as did everyone. 

Malia walked up to Stiles and placed her hands around his wrists that were in the air. "Stiles.." 

"He's not there." Theo answered for him.

Melissa came back out, escaping from all of the chaos without realizing she had just stepped out into pure strife.

Pure pain.

Scott yelled at Theo. "what do you mean! What the hell happened?"

"The bite." Lydia said. "It brought him back. It brought it back." 

Theo stepped closer as he looked at Stiles. He seemed unresponsive but he was just standing there as Malia lowered his hands. "She's right. You see Scott, the whole reason I came back to Beacon Hills was to create an undefeated pack." He approached Scott as Parrish cocked his gun at him. Theo raised his eyebrows as he continued. "I needed the banshee who could sense near death. I needed the were-coyote who's first instinct is to kill." Theo stopped as Malia lunged at him. Before she could even pack a punch onto him, Theo had pushed her down to the ground with might strength. Malia fell with a thud as Lydia helped her up. 

Stiles seemed completely out of it. He just stared off into the distance until the sheriff came closer to him and wrapped an arm around his son.

Theo ignored all the commotion and continued as usual. "I needed the young beta with anger issues and I need the ever so famous true alpha." Theo was a foot away from Scott's red eyes. "But most of all," he whispered into his face. "Oh ho-- but most of all, i needed the guilty human," Theo chuckled. "I needed void Stiles." 

"You're not touching Stiles!" The sheriff held his son's body close to his own, tightly.

Theo glared at John Stilinski. "Oh, that's cute. You think -- you actually thought Stiles would stay away?" He stepped closer to John now. "Stiles. Stiles is dead. If you somehow manage to get rid of the nogitsune, you'll kill him. Stiles needs him to live." He looked at Lydia know, just itching for her to let out an incredible screech.

"Just listen Scott. No heart beat. Stiles had his chance to join my pack without force and look what happened." Theo reprised his golden smirk.

"No! Stiles wouldn't let that happen, he won't let himself turn void." Scott rebutted, realizing this is all his fault.

"Oh but Stiles was already void. He's always been void Scott. He tried to hide it, he tried to be good but that darkness. It just took over. Don't you remember Donovan? How could innocent defenseless Stiles do that?" Theo asked him sarcastically.

"That was self defense and you know it!" The sheriff yelled at the teenager who started to back away.

"Fine. Take him for all I care. I tried to warn you." Theo shocked them when these words flowed out of his mouth.

Nobody could see it coming as Theo sprinted towards Stiles, knocking him onto the concrete as his head smashed onto the ground. 

"Stiles!!" Malia and Lydia yelled out in unison and in pain. The sheriff kneeled down to aid his son. 

"We can't keep him here. We have to take him home." The sheriff admitted as he wiped off splotches of blood off of Stiles' forehead. "Stiles? Stiles." He called out to his son, but there was no answer.

Melissa put her ear to his chest. No heartbeat. She placed her two fingers on his pulse on his neck. She felt a slight bulge every few seconds. "No heartbeat, but there's still a pulse.." Melissa looked up in confusion. How could anyone have no heart beat but still have a pulse?

Scott looked around for Theo. He was gone as Scott frantically turned around to search for the ruthless boy. 

"He's gone." Scott whispered to himself as he looked back to Stiles who was being carried by the sheriff, Melissa, and Parrish to the squad car.

It was his fault he thought. He should've been there to save Stiles. Whatever happened to "I'd take a bullet for you"? He should've respected his wishes and not given him the bite. Damn it Scott you idiot! Why do you screw so many things up ~ he thought to himself.

And Stiles. Poor Stiles. He could still hear no heartbeat, but the pulse bulged against his skin. Then it hit him.

Stiles still has a pulse.

Stiles is trying to stay alive, despite him being dead and possibly possessed.

Stiles -- He's trying so hard not to let go.


	14. When Foxes Run With Wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for staying with me here! There is a quote from Tyler Joseph's song Blasphemy in here just for fun :)

"Stiles." He heard his own name echo from familiar voices until he opened his eyes and saw an industrial roof that he recognized.

"Stiles." Melissa said as her eyes brightened up in front of him, but she still wore a concerned look. Stiles' vision cleared up and realized he was lying on a table at Deaton's office. He felt a hand wrapped around his.

Malia.

It brought a warm sense of comfort despite him not knowing why Malia felt the need to be so protective.

"What-- what the hell happened?" Stiles said quietly as everyone stared at him, shocked. He felt no pain whatsoever, but his body certainly seemed to show injuries. He tried to sit up but arms held him down and there he stayed.

"Stiles, you were shot twice. You went into cardiac arrest," His father crept up near him from behind Scott. Stiles looked at his tired father. He had caused those tears in his eyes. Stiles thought he was the one to blame. He looked down at his chest. There were thickly wound bandages on his bare torso that touched the cold metal. "You..You were dead for an hour.." The sheriff shockingly explained. Deaton had a stethoscope against Stiles' chest.

"Still no heartbeat." 

"How the hell am I alive with no heartbeat?" Stiles' eyes widened.

"You aren't." Melissa broke the news. Stiles gave back a depressed look. "Or at least you shouldn't be, but your pulse is still going." 

Stiles looked at his bruised and battered body once again and noticed dried blood around his wrist. Two small wound holes appeared. Malia caught his eyes and had to tell the truth.

"He didn't have a choice Stiles, we couldn't let you die." Malia said quietly.

Stiles looked frantically for his best friend. "What? You should've just let me die! I-I can't do this, where's Scott!" 

Lydia approached him with soft eyes. "He's looking for Theo." the banshee claimed.

"What does Theo have to do with this?" Stiles asked, frightened about the answer as he was allowed to stand up.

No one answered him.

"Somebody tell me what the is going on!" Stiles startled everyone with his rough tone. Everyone was concerned with the fact that he couldn't remember anything. He didn't seem like his old self, but did anyone really?

Deaton cleared his voice. "Stiles, do you remember that feeling of darkness, when you were void? I said it would remain forever in your heart right? When Scott gave you the bite, it gave a supernatural power to the darkness. Theo said for us to expect it to grow, for you to become permanently void once again." Deaton said with a stern voice.

Stiles felt strong. He felt immune, numb to all pain and for the first time in his life he felt invincible. If he could survive all this, he could do anything. Even if he was void.

Lydia felt a weird vibe from Stiles. She knew there was a fox inside, hiding in its den, just waiting for it to pounce on its prey.

Stiles swung his legs around, as if he were about to get up. "Stiles, stay down," his father's exhausted voice spoke. But Stiles got up anyways. His vision got shady as the world started to crumble before him. 

The last thing Stiles heard was the door opening and closing over the shouts of his father's desperate calls for his son. Scott came running.

"Stiles!" He immediately kneeled down, reaching for his best friend's arm. Black veins ran up rapidly, making Scott wince within a few seconds. An excruciating pain shot up through Scott's body as Deaton pulled him away.

"If the nogitsune really is Stiles, then he's just feeding off your pain," Alan Deaton said as he recalled their previous experience. Scott panted as Melissa held him close after putting a damp towel on Stiles' forehead.

The sheriff fumbled for something in his jackets as Scott saw him pull out handcuffs. He sighed before Deaton said, "It's the right thing to do, and it'll keep Stiles safe." John handed the cuffs to Deaton who then proceeded to cuff Stiles' hand to a metal table that was bolted down to the floor for safety precautions. 

"Any luck finding Theo?" Melissa asked Scott, who gave a slight shake of his head. Parrish was still out there looking for the Desert Wolf by then.

John checked his phone that was buzzing with texts. "Well, the hospital and station are gonna need a cover story until we sort this out," He sighed, scrolling down on his phone to many missed calls from other officers.

Malia sat next to Stiles, holding his one free hand as she felt him squeeze her own.

"Stiles?" She said quietly. Stiles didn't let go of her hand, continuing to squeeze harder and harder. "Ah!- Stiles!" She said louder as Lydia tried to make him release her. Malia yelled out as Stiles squeezed her hand so hard that she thought it was going to snap.

Suddenly his eyes opened.

They had a different color, a different look. They weren't the same honey-colored brown eyes he had. They were fierce, and they were dark, with a certain sense of mischief behind them.

"Stiles." Melissa called out to him as she saw him breathing productively. She dropped back as Stiles yanked on the cuffs against the table, grunting as he did so.

What should've been a smile turned into a nasty smirk on Stiles' face, accompanied by a changed voice. It sounded tougher, the dark presence was still there.

"Oh you think you are all so clever," Stiles maliciously said in a lower voice as he snapped his hand back to him without lifting a finger. The hand cuffs broke in half to everyone's astonishment as they watched.

Stiles immediately got up with such speed, while the gang copied him.

"Didn't you guys miss me?" The timbre of Stiles.. It was void. Stiles sneered as he bashed Malia's head up against the table, causing her to lose consciousness. Her body fell limp to the floor as Stiles felt a grasp against his arm. 

His best friend's mother. "Stiles, stop! Listen to me, okay? This isn't you, you're in there, but this isn't you!" She tightened her grip on his wrist where the two teeth marks stayed.

"Oh Melissa.. You probably shouldn't have done that, you never learn do you?" Stiles raised his eyebrows as she glared at him.

She glared at the boy she once knew. But know, he was lifeless.

Colorless.

Heartless.

He was evil. Void. 

Stiles pulled back on her arm, her body shot backwards and slammed the wall as Scott came to her aid. The sheriff pulled his gun as he looked around for Deaton who suddenly disappeared.

"Don't move you bastard," John said out of sheer pain.

Stiles' face softened for a minute, his eyes seemed to cry for help as he whispered, "dad..?"

"S-stiles?" The sheriff put his gun in his pocket and went to wrap Stiles around with his arms, waiting to embrace his injured child. And as soon as he laid a hand on the boy, Stiles' expression immediately turned as he maneuvered, pulling Sheriff Stilinski's arm to his back, causing pure agony.

"Wow. And here I thought Melissa was the stupid idiot," Stiles spoke out, eyeing Scott who stood by Lydia and a knocked out Malia. His father winced as he held him hostage. "You can't trust a fox," Stiles whispered. 

"What do you want!?" Scott yelled at him.

"Me? Oh how nice of you to ask." Stiles gave a sketchy chuckle. "I want the power, I want the chaos, the strife. And I feed on pain and strife don't you know Scott?" Stiles said as he lunged forward, pushing the older man into the floor and he develops a large cut running across his forehead. 

He quickly turned to Scott, walking closer and closer to him, step by step. "I don't know why you keep calling me Stiles. He's dead, I'm feeding on Stiles' pain, I'm just gonna get stronger. And we're going to kill you all." He threatened.

"You said we're." Lydia pointed out. The boy looked back at her, his eyebrows raised. "Stiles-- He's not dead. He's fighting against a body that's waging war on him," Lydia came to a conclusion. "Stiles is still alive, that's why you're not as strong as you were last time." 

Stiles was within a foot from her face. "You think your so clever?" He whispered, provoking her. "You know exactly what's going to happen don't you, banshee? Just like last time, i want to hear you scream, and your gonna end up doing it." Stiles' harsh words landed like a slap to face at Lydia, but she knew it wasn't him saying those words.

Scott tried so hard to move, but his legs were stuck to the ground. He felt like he was paralyzed. He was helpless, some true alpha he was. Lydia stood there, by his side was wide frightened eyes.

Stiles stepped back. And back and back and back until he reached the door. The other teenagers didn't move as John groaned on the ground, crawling against the floor to help the fallen nurse. "Don't worry, we'll meet again," Stiles tilted his head before leaving. Scott immediately sprinted to the door.

Gone. As if he simply vanished into thin air. And what frightened Scott the most was that Stiles or the nogitsune or who ever the hell it is, was right. He was right that you couldn't trust a fox. 

Even when they look like a wolf.


	15. The Overlooked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for an update ahah! Just as a reminder; I type this on my phone so excuse me if there are a lot of mistakes. Also, the time I post is around 8 a.m. Atlantic EST time (excluding today of course) so you can check back every 1-2 days for a new chapter :) Season 3 references are made. There is a quote from Twenty One Pilots' song Trees because no chapter of mine is complete without one LOL.

Scott immediately helped his mother as she got back up to her feet, with a large bump swelling on her head. "Mom! Are you okay?" Scott held her hand tightly as she gave him a strong nod. 

"G-go find him, I'll help the others," Melissa winced at first but then continued to grip to the table near her and pulled herself up. She got to the sheriff who's forehead was smeared with dried blood as he comforted Malia and Lydia.

Malia was groaning from a sudden pain in her head, but immediately shook it off and talked to Lydia. "You--" she winced "you have to find him," Malia held her head.

Scott grabbed Lydia's hand, mouthing the word "c'mon" as they went out the door. Scott found Deaton outside, going through many empty bottles.

"What are you doing?!" Scott hounded, showing that there was trouble, and Deaton shouldn't be doing stock inventory. 

"I'm looking for the lichen--the one that once poisoned The fox in Stiles," Deaton explained as he dug through clinking bottles. "It won't work by itself this time, it's still missing something,"

"Like what?" Scott asked, holding Lydia closer to him, thinking that void Stiles would attack them at any point.

"Mountain ash," Lydia said quietly as she stared at Deaton who raised his eyebrows. "If you get the lichen and mountain ash together, the lichen would poison the fox, and the ash would poison the supernatural being." She said prominently before realizing what would happen if they were to do that which Scott knew.

"You'd poison the supernatural host.." Scott said.

"You'd kill Stiles." Deaton finished off.  
\--  
Melissa helped Parrish, Malia, and the sheriff as she dabbed wounds and bandaged foreheads with Deaton's supplies. They all regrouped at the metal table that once held the missing teenager.

"Okay, so what are we gonna do?" Melissa asked, pursing her lips with her strong voice.

"Triage. First, we find Stiles." Parrish said with a certain pride in his voice, he definitely knew what he was doing for the first time ever.

"He's still void, we have to get rid of the nogitsune in him," Malia pointed out. While she wasn't present for when they defeated the nogitsune for the first time, Lydia has filled in a few pot holes for her.

"Last time we almost killed Stiles, when we changed the host of the nogitsune," Lydia walked in with Scott and Deaton as she broke in the news.

"We aren't gonna hurt Stiles this time," The sheriff blurted out bluntly, knowing all too well that Stiles is almost dead already, that the nogitsune is feeding on his pain and the only thing keeping Stiles alive is the fact that he's somewhat still human.

Just a little part of him.   
It may be small.

But it's still there.

The gang looked at the sheriff all with soft eyes, as they also knew what Stiles's condition was like. "So say we find Stiles," Melissa said. "We can't poison him this time, his body won't handle it, so is there another way?" 

"Not of what I know of, but there is someone who knows more then I do." Deaton said, pulling out his phone as he appeared to message someone.

"Who?" Scott asked his boss. 

"You'll see. For now, let's focus on finding Stiles. Which I think I have an idea where he is. Last time you all faced the nogitsune, it left a presence at that place." Deaton explained, eyeing Lydia as she came to the revelation.

"The school." She said quietly once again. "It was the last place where the Oni were too." Lydia continued as she clenched her fists in her pockets of her jacket in frustration.

The group came to a silence and all thought about it before a familiar figure entered through the room and sent his voice booming. 

"I'll drive," said Derek Hale.

A slight smile grew on Scott's face as Derek came to the rescue, he was sure he would know what to do. Melissa, John Stilinski, Deaton, And Parrish all marched out and rode with in the squad car to the school as the teenagers drove with the husky werewolf.

"How is this even happening again?" Derek asked Scott as he turned on the engine of the car. 

"I guess Deaton didn't tell you everything." Scott sighed. "We had to give him the bite, he was taken hostage by the Desert Wolf and she shot him twice. H-he would've died." Scott stuttered in nervousness, once again reminding himself that this was all his fault.

"You gave Stiles the bite?" Derek looked at him through the mirror with a surprised look. "Scott - Stiles isn't human." 

Scott and Malia gave him a confused look but Lydia was still neutral, and Derek knew that she knew. "You knew it Lydia," Derek claimed. "Ever since the sacrifices, he's had a supernatural attachment to him, like an aura, especially with a Banshee like Lydia as his emotional tether." 

Lydia listened to Derek, what he spoke was true. She had felt pain whenever Stiles was hurt. At the hospital she felt like she was going to throw up the entire time and never stop because her other half, her tether, was almost dead. She could feel his breath. Yet she could feel his death.

"So if we use wolfsbane mixed with lichen, it'll kill Stiles won't it?" Malia asked concerned.

Derek nodded as he drove closer to the school.

"We need mistletoe." He claimed.

"Mistletoe? Like the one Jennifer Blake used?" Scott asked, remembering that he broke into a barrier of mistletoe and wolfsbane to become an alpha.

"Yes. Because just like mistletoe, Stiles is overlooked. And with the nogitsune being a dark kitsune, it'll weaken it without killing Stiles.. Hopefully." Derek explained.

"It's a poison and a cure." Scott said. It could poison the nogitsune and keep Stiles alive.

Malia tried to keep her cool. Overlooked? Nobody could take Stiles for granted. For being human, he's fought the most wars, he's won the most victories, but he still has the most battle scars. 

And Derek was right.

Stiles was overlooked. But they should never over look him again. 

If he makes it out alive.


	16. Guess Who's Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much longer chapter for this one! I understand why teen wolf writers won't bring back Void Stiles, it's pretty hard to write a plot different to the one in season 3 haha! But I think this ones alright. Sorry it took so long for an update, I ha exams! But I have break in a week finally so I can write more.

Derek drove the Malia, Scott, and Lydia to the school while Parrish, Melissa, and the Sheriff made their way towards the Stilinski household. Maybe Stiles was there instead of the school, they thought. The sheriff pulled into his driveway and hopped out of the car with the others. He held his gun close to him as he proceeded inside his own home that felt like foreign land with invaders.

He scoped out the perimeters before hearing a shaking thud. John's body met the wall as he peered out into the hall in which he saw a figure standing there.

Stiles.

"Stay back, he's here," the Sheriff whispered as he get ready to lunge out at the boy who was no longer his son, only for Parrish to stop him. "We can't attack him, we have no chance."

"Wait, let's see what he's doing," Parrish place his hand over the sheriff's gun. Melissa leaned in closer with the two other men and they all stated at the possessed teenager. He was going through a medicine cabinet as if he were looking for something. "If he can heal, what is he doing looking for medicine?" Parrish asked.

The boy continued to rattle bottled in the cabinet until he found something that resembled something white and familiar. "Is that--?" Melissa started.

"Scott's spare inhaler," the sheriff finished. In Stiles' hand was the spare inhaler Scott had given him after earlier in the year when he was asthma was getting bad. "What does a nogitsune need with an inhaler?" The sheriff asked, dumbfounded.

"It's not the the nogitsune, it's Stiles." Melissa realized as she received two looks from Parrish as John. "Scott told me once that, if a beast is more human than animal, the animal instincts would start to fade," She explained.

"So you're saying the nogitsune is fading?" Parrish asked as Stiles seemed to stop foraging. Quickly, the three adults hid in the kitchen quietly as they listened to Stiles' footsteps get louder. 

"Not quite, I'm saying that Stiles, he's trying to stay alive." Melissa said as silence presumed the air for a good moment. They saw Stiles move past them and reached for the doorknob as they hid in the shadows.

"Don't think I didn't notice all of you there," Stiles' dark, gravelly mature voice state with a malicious timbre filling the air. "Checkmate." He said as he left the house and seemed to vanish once again. 

Melissa and Parrish looked at John. He sighed before saying, "Chess is Stiles' game." They immediately followed the boy out the door only to find him nowhere.

Like he vanished into thin air once again.

"How the hell does he do that?" Parrish said outloud as John called Scott.

"Scott. He's coming to the school, we will be there in a few minutes." He said before ending the call and driving away.  
\--  
The four supernatural beings were already in the high school looking for a fox wearing the mask of a boy. They had just re-routed their way to the main lobby by the time the sheriff had called them.

"Maybe we should split up. Just to cover more ground." Malia suggested. "That way he can't take all of us out."

"It's too risky. It leaves us vulnerable. We're all just merely pawns in his game," Derek claimed, rolling the tiny bottle of mountain ash and mistletoe in his palm.

"So how does a pawn kill in a chess game?" Scott asked.

Lydia turned around, thinking of an explanation but her thoughts were clouded with noise and a lingering feeling of danger. "Pawns are the only pieces that can kill in a different way then they move."

Scott got it. Just like the divine move they had used the last time. But we all know that won't work this time. And the footsteps in Lydia's head just kept getting louder.

And louder.

And louder. 

Until eventually she heard the buckle of a door and Stiles stood behind them on the top step of the stairs. Derek turned around as he changed into a werewolf and his eyes shined his true colors. The older man roared as he lunged hi body towards Stiles with full speed, his claws out.

"Derek! No that's what he wants!" Lydia yelled out as Derek goes to land and punch square at Stiles' chest. 

Suddenly he wasn't there anymore. Derek looked around. 

No on was there. 

What the hell was going on?

Derek rubbed at his eyes. 

Now everything was up in flames. 

He heard screaming, screaming full of agonizing pain. Out in the distance he saw... His sister?

"Laura! Laura!" Derek yelled out to his sister when he tried to move closer to her.  
But his legs -- they just wouldn't move. "Laura!" Derek was desperate as he thought this was all too real. The flames surrounded him and the room got much hotter as one of the beams in the roof collapsed down. It landed right on top of Laura Hale. "No!!" Derek yelled out as tears rolled down his cheeks and he wolfed out. He quickly ran towards the doors to aid his sister.

He looked down.

There was no body to be found. It was just Derek now sitting in flames. He got all of his stored rage and barged the doors only for him to truly open his eyes. 

He was laying on the floor, behind Stiles. Derek was shaking, as if he were poisoned and traumatized. He was a victim of his own hallucinations.

"What the hell did you just do?!" Scott yelled at Stiles.

Stiles took a step closer. "It wasn't me Scott. Derek did that to himself. He probably shouldn't have done that. It's not my fault he can't handle his past."

Malia stepped closer to Stiles now. "Stiles. Listen to me. Please. This isn't you. Okay? Please this isn't you Stiles, let us just help you! Let us help you Stiles!" Malia reached out her hand to him, which was about 5 inches from Stiles' own body.

"...M-Malia?" Stiles' tone changed to something more gentle than the previous one. He reached out his hand now as she smiled towards him, creeping closer to him. 

"Malia don't touch him!" Lydia yelled. Why the hell was no one listening to a banshee.

Malia's fingertip touched his wrist as within a blink of an eye, Stiles' expression returned to a pale, sickly smirk. He pulled back on her wrist as she leapt forward. 

Malia found herself sitting in the car that night. "What the hell?" She though to herself. Her mom, her human mom, was sitting in the driver's seat. And her younger sister was in the backseat. Oh no, she thought. Malia noticed a certain light in the sky. The light of a full moon. 

Shit. This was the night she killed her family. 

Malia felt her claws pecking through her skin, but this time it's painful. Extremely painful as she screamed. Her brows furrowed slightly and her teeth were replaced with fangs. All she could hear was the screams of her horrified un-expectant mother and sister. Her mother swerves the car as everyone holds onto the edge of the seats. She's losing control of the car now with shrieks of a horrific discovery as the car heads straight for a tree. No, no, no, no, no, no!!--

And just before the car is about to crash in impact at 80 miles an hour, Malia suddenly realizes she's on the ground, shivering and freezing.

"Stop it! What the hell do you want? What did you do to them?!" Lydia screamed at Stiles.

"Me? What do I want? I want pain. I want chaos. When I bring back those painful memories to them, I become stronger Lydia. Someone with past experience should know." Stiles stepped closer.

"No.. No. You're becoming weaker. Stiles, the real human Stiles is becoming stronger now and is fighting you. You can't have two souls in one body." Scott point out just as Parrish and the sheriff bust in with Melissa, guns drawn.

"You're wrong Scott. This is me. I am Stiles. He's always been void. You already tried once, you can't kill me! I am a thousand years old! You can't kill me!" Stile was a foot away from Scott who held Lydia as he screamed. "Not even you, the sheriff of this damned place would even have the guts to kill me."

The sheriff pointed his gun at Stiles. "You're not my son. And even if I can't kill you, he can." The sheriff claimed as someone walked in through the doors. And thank god it was him. 

Chris Argent.


	17. The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer to the wrapping this fic up :)

Argent walked swiftly into the room with a backpack slung around his shoulder. "Back for more I see?" Stiles said as he seemed to be taking small steps backwards. But wit every step, Chris Argent followed. In his dominant hand laid a pistol, presumably with silver bullets loaded with moutain ash.

"I came back to finish what I started years ago," Argent replied back, nodding at Stilinski to tell him to help the fallen. He aids Derek who gets back up on his feet. Malia is still totally out of it, too frightened, too traumatized, but she's okay for now. Scott and Lydia laid on the other side of Stiles as they watch Melissa try to help Malia.

"Hm.. I don't think you're going to do a very good job," A small malicious smirk grew at the corners of Stiles' grin. Stiles seemed to get closer and closer to the back hallway of the main lobby. 

"What exactly is it you want?" Argent asked.

"Ooh everyone's so interested in me, I love it." A dark humor came out as a reply from Stiles. He seemed to be shifting his body towards Lydia and Scott until he walked right up to them. He latched onto Lydia's wrist. "I want her," 

Lydia yelped as she held onto Scott's hand who was pulling on her with all his strength. "No! Ugh- Let go of me! This isn't you Stiles! Let go of me!" 

So he did.

Stiles let go of her wrist, somewhat against his own will. He left red imprints on her pale skin as he backed up. Retreating from the hall came shadows. 

4 figures crept up to the group of teens and adults, all armed and loaded with guns and claws.

The Desert Wolf and 3 other gruff men. Scott was shocked as he saw the two men who he had seen get arrested as they walked towards them. Behind them was someone Lydia vaguely remembered.

The officer who briefly interrogated everyone at the hospital.

"Hayes? What the hell," the sheriff proclaimed as he too remembered the rookie officer.

"Oh, Stilinski this's your kid? Too bad. I really liked you," The officer who wore a name tag that said Hayes claimed as he loaded his gun. Stiles was centered in between the gang and the bad guys, between yin and yang. 

"We've come for the banshee, so either you give her to us or we can show your our alternative methods," The Desert Wolf concluded as they crept near them. One of the men ran up to Scott and Lydia which a loaded fist as a result of his clenched fingers. He lunged as he aimed for Scott's chest.

The man's hand came to a stop when Scott clutched it, using the man's own strength against. The true alpha showed his true eyes and sharp smile as he growled, sending the man tumbling to the floor behind him and is knocked out for the count.

The other man partnered up with Hayes as they both took on Scott. Malia, who was finally up went after them with Derek. A full brawl broke out as Parrish started to fight with the Desert Wolf.

"Hm., I would've thought a hellhound would've been on our side," She sneered as she holds her gun to her hand, her fingers followed the trigger.

"Parrish!" Stilinski yelled as he hears a gun shot. A bullet enters the Deputy's body, penetrating his skin with every inch it travels. He yells out in pain but then is relieved when he realizes he's still alive. The bullet had only hit his leg. "Parrish, okay keep calm, okay don't move it," the sheriff assured him as he took his own jacket and wrapped it around the younger man's wound which was bleeding sufficiently. I guess hellhounds don't heal like werewolves.

Scott was distracted by the debacle and finds himself on the ground because of an uppercut thrust the man took out on his face. He instantly got dizzy as Malia held him up as his vision blurred.

"Scott!" She called out to him and he started to come back. Scott perked up immediately. 

"Where is she?" He looked around frantically. He saw three men on the ground, assuming that the sheriff had taken them out by force. "Where the hell's Lydia?!"

She was gone. No where to be found. 

And so was Stiles. 

Chris Argent was frantically searching the halls next to where they were. He held onto the backpack as if it were his child. What the hell was in there anyways?

"Scott." He came to them and gave the teenager a hand. "We need to find Stiles, I know how to get rid of the nogitsune, and save Lydia."

"You can't kill him!" Scott choked on his on words.

"Scott, trust me, I know what I'm doing." Chris said. And suddenly he felt better.

Because when he trusted Chris, he wasn't just trusting a man. He wasn't trusting a hunter. He was trusting the father of his first love. His first love who died for her friends. Scott would never let anything like that happen ever again because no one has forgotten about it. Especially Stiles.

Scott tried to hold back his tears about Allison, it was always hard on him. But it was harder on Stiles who was convinced it was his fault. He could never let himself forget what happened to Allison and how it made Scott feel.

Wait.

Forget.

"Wait, Malia, what happened when Stiles touched you?" Scott asked her as he noticed Parrish being helped by the sheriff and Melissa as Derek silently stood behind Chris, paying full attention to the conversation.

"It was like I went back in time to the night of the car crash," she explained and then looked at Derek as if she expected an explanation.

"O-oh yeah I went back to the night of the fire. It was too surreal, like when I touched the fire I felt pain. It wasn't physical, it was more like emotional pain." Derek explained, recalling the moment when he thought he saw his little sister again.

Scott realized how to stop Stiles, how to stop the nogitsune specifically.

The past.

Because the thing is, no matter how much you dwell in the future, you can never forget the past.


	18. My Body's Waging a War on Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to follow this story ;) I think I might add two chapters, 19 and 20 but depends on how long 19 is (I write each chapter as I go, it's not pre-written)

Scott called Lydia's phone, hoping she would at least pickup so they could track and locate her.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

No answer.

"She's not answering," Scott said, frustrated with the dilemma. Derek packed back and forth.

"They're most likely still here, I can't imagine they've gotten far." Derek made a point to say.

"With the nogitsune, you never know." Scott countered.

"Wait," Malia said as she got a brilliant idea. "Scott, call her again."

Scott did so and Malia took a good listen. Within two rings, she had pinpointed an exact location in the school wit the help of the echoing through the pipes.

"They're in Mr. Yukimura's classroom!" Malia stated as she started running down the hall.

Scott follow her with Chris Argent. Derek looked back at the sheriff and Parrish who was hanging on. John Stiliinski gave him a nod to signal Derek to leave. And with that, they all cruised down the hallway until they found the familiar history classroom.

"Why are they in that room specifically?" Chris Argent asked Scott who seemed to recall something.

"It has a supernatural presence." Derek answered instead. "What the hell is in there anyways?"

"The nine tails of a kitsune." Scott's words trembled, he knew they sounded as bad as he thought. 

They all ran until they faced the open doorway of the room, in which they came face to face with the opposing threats. But now, the three goons, including the officer Hayes, were out in the lobby, unconscious. It was just Stiles and the Desert Wolf with a frightened Lydia held between Stiles' body and his bulging muscular arms. His arms wrapped around her neck as she clinged on to it, hoping he wouldn't squeeze her even more and suffocate her. She just needed to scream. So. Damn. Bad. He wasn't skinny defenseless Stiles anymore. 

"Don't hurt her," Scott called out as they all got closer to him. Stiles' eyes seemed to soften up. "Stiles.. This isn't you. Don't hurt her. Not Lydia. Not the girl you've loved since the third grade." Scott continued before the Desert Wolf lunged herself towards Derek, seeping her claws through his skin.

Derek yelped in pain as it radiated from a large streak of blood running down his chest now. His grey fitted shirt was solid with his own blood that had betrayed him. "Derek!" He heard Scott say.

"I-I'm fine," Derek winced as he got back up to his face and took on the were coyote as Malia backed him up.

"Aw, family reunion." The were-coyote snarled as she pushed Malia up against the wall. The woman's hands made it up her neck as Malia started to choke. Derek lunged a clenched first at her hand which made her pull away. Malia fell to the ground as Scott helped her catch every single drop of air her system was now missing. She was gasping for every air as she felt betrayed.

Her own flesh, her own blood had tried to kill her.

"You're not my family-" Malia managed to get out as she choked on her own words. "I just got my hair color and eyes from you, you psychopathic bitch," Malia remarked as she growled, shining her blue eyes in rage.

Lydia was whimpering as she felt Stiles' grip grow on her. "S-stop," she barely managed to get the words out. Sheriff Stilinski came running down the hall and into the room with his loaded gun as he walked into total mayhem.

Derek was still fighting off the Desert Wolf as Malia came close to Stiles, forcing Lydia out of his grip. Malia, who was still a bit out of it, yanked on Lydia to pull her away from the nogitsune who then went on to knee her in the stomach and bash her head into the wall. Malia collapsed.

"Malia!" The sheriff kneeled down and held the girl in his arms. 

"Scott, we have to do it now before he kills her, we need Lydia and Malia," Chris quietly said as he retrieved his backpack off his arm.

Scott went directly up to the nogitsune wearing Stiles face. He held his hand out hesitantly to his former best friend. "Stiles -- listen to me. I.. I know your in there okay? This isn't you. You have to remember, Stiles! You have to remember!"

Stiles' dark voice grumbled. "Remember?" He squinted his eyes in disapproval. 

"Yes. Remember. Remember who I am? I'm your best friend. Remember when you took me out into the woods that night? Remember when you saved me from that asthma attack? Remember when you first danced with Lydia at the semi-formal in junior year? Stiles.." Scott said as he blubbered about the moments, gushing about the several memories as he restrained himself from bringing back old memories. 

Malia was still unconscious and started to worry the sheriff as Melissa walked in with a limping Parrish. Stiles pulled Lydia into a choke-hold once again as she groaned. "Stiles don't you remember when you and Scott saved me?" whispered Lydia.

Lydia's eyes widened when she felt Stiles' grip loosen. "Scott, we have to do it now, while he's still vulnerable," Chris claimed once again as Derek yelled in battle with the Desert Wolf.

"Claudia, I'm sorry," John Stilinski whispered as he referred to a promise he made with Stiles' mom to never kill anyone while on duty. Today was the day he broke that promise. His hands were shaking but he held up his gun proudly behind her and shot her twice in the back, sending her falling forwards to her demise. Nobody had even given it a second look, and thank god for that. The sheriff just continued to rock Malia in his lap, praying that she would wake up.

"I can make him weaker.." Scott whispered to Chris, asking for more time as Chris dug through his bag. And Scott was right. The memories? All reminders of battles fought, wars lost, friends dead, family killed. They were memories Stiles didn't want to remember that would hurt him the most. It would hurt the human part of the boy the most, therefore, shutting down the host of the nogitsune.

"Scott, you got one more try before he murders you," Chris whispered through his clenched teeth. 

Ok, ok, he's got this. Scott just needs to find something so profoundly depressing to Stiles, that it hurts Scott to think about it.

 

Got it.

 

"Stiles.. Don't you remember how you felt when your mom died?" Scott felt the power of his words. Stiles was like a mirror that had just shattered into a million pieces. 

"W-what.. What the hell.." Stiles quietly said, still under the nogitsune's influence as he completely let go of Lydia. She fell to the ground, into the safety of Melissa who held her tightly,

"Don't you remember every waking moment where you couldn't do anything but remember how she said you were the one who killed her." Scott said strongly, seeing the affect it was taking on the teenager.

Stiles stammered and pulled at his hair in frustration, that dark timbre still in his voice. "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" The kitsune part of the spirit was so frustrated at this point it had made Stiles go crazy. "Just shut up, shut up!"

"Don't you remember Stiles? It was you, you killed your mother, and now you're killing everyone else." Scott's saddening words brought a tear to everyone's eyes. They all knew he lied on the last part, except for Stiles. Stiles lived his entire life thinking it was true, and now he thought his best friend had confirmed it. Stiles looked physically weaker now. He didn't have that impish grin that had a tint of maliciousness. 

"Chris! Whatever the hell you're planning, do it while he's still weak!" Derek yelled out as he kneeled down by a forgotten Malia and leeched pain from her slowly as she laid in the sheriff's lap, lifeless.

"Malia. Malia," the sheriff called out the girl but there was no response. "Melissa, we need help." John said, concerned now that she still isn't up. Her heartbeat seems fine but something is just not right.

Scott looked around. His plan had worked. Because memories... Well, they're the only part of your mind that can suddenly wage war on you. And you will lose.

Every.

Single.

Time.


	19. Give a Man a Mask & He'll Show You His Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one! Thanks for all the reviews and comments, it did very much appreciated! I hope you all enjoy this chapter but please don't hate me for it, I didn't say it was fun to write this one. The chapter title reads "Give a Man a Mask & He'll Show You His Face" ❤️

Stiles' body trembled, the nogistune was deeply confused and felt defeated. 

"Hold him down," Chris Argent said with a gravelly voice, a hint of certainty overshadowed in his grand plan. He looked to Scott and gave him a nod. Lydia and Derek grabbed either arm of Stiles as he fought against them. But they had to be strong as they fought the 1000 year old spirit. Next to them they could hear Melissa trying to bring back Malia as a thick red fluid dripped down her nose.

Scott wore his fangs as Chris retrieved something rigid and black, with an eerie black smoke lifting from it. "Scott, you have to put it on your fangs or else it won't work," Chris said as he realized that about the solution made from mistle toe and the lichen. Scott was very hesitant about doing it, but it had to be done as he secreted the fluid very carefully onto the tips of his canine like teeth.

At the corner of her eye, Lydia saw Malia finally start to come back. Relieved, she releases a few shed tears down her cheek. She gets a very sudden urge to let go of something, she just had to let it all go. She needed to scream.

"Scott do it now!" Lydia screamed out loud before her banshee senses started to go off like crazy.

Chris grasped onto what looked like the mask of an Oni. He got several confused looks regarding the mask he's had in possession since he was 24 years old. "Scott! Do it now!" Chris ran at Stiles, placing the dark mask upon his facial expressions. Stiles flailed his body parts in attempt to get it off. It felt like a poison was forcing the nogitsune out of the host's body. They were using his own pain against him. The longer they held the mask on him, the more pain attacked the nogitsune with strife full blows. A black smoke started to leak from under the mask as Stiles' attempts to free himself seemed to stop as Scott sunk his teeth into his bare arm near his gunshot wound. 

Instead of Stiles doing it, Lydia screeched at top of her lungs as Stiles' face became grief stricken with pure agony. The sheriff had gotten up and put his gun down near them so he wouldn't drop it before cupping his ears. Everyone gave Lydia a horrified look. Stiles' face looked so tired and so defeated. The two marks were Scott bit him started to bleed thoroughly, as did the two gunshot wounds that had previously been surgically fixed. "Did it work?" Melissa quietly asked. They lifted off the mask from the teenager.

The poor kid looked horrified. 

Stiles took a minute to look around at what was going on. "W-what the hell," he said as his voice quivered. "Scott, Scott what happened? What did I do!" Stiles asked his best friend as he physically felt his heart starting to beat painfully after have no heartbeat for hours. "I'm void, Scott -- dad? Lydia.." Stiles looked into the eyes of the banshee who had just predicted someone's death. 

"Okay Stiles, slow down, it's okay, you're not void," Chris reassured Stiles as he tucked the mask back into a container embedded with mountain ash. 

"Stiles it's okay-" Scott was cut off by the boy who started to freak out as he stared at his body that started to drip a crimson red fluid.

Stiles couldn't take this anymore. He hurt so many people. So many people could've died because of him. Malia, Parrish, and Lydia were all victims. They were all better off without him. Everyone would be safe, he couldn't be nogitsune anymore, no more void. Stiles didn't want to play this chess game anymore.

He had just called checkmate. 

Stiles immediately grabbed his father's gun that he put down near him, pointing the weapon's barrel over his heart. "N-no, no it's not okay, none of this is okay! Just -- just stay back! I don't want to hurt you," Stiles rambled on. He secretly writhed in pain as he felt his insides practically melting as his heart ran full speed ahead. Tears trickled down slowly as Stiles fought for breath, waging a war against his own body. 

"Stiles!" John Stilinski jumped to his feet. "Put the gun down, please" he spoke softly to his son as he walked up, inches away from the weapon in the teenager's hand. 

Lydia found herself being caressed by Scott and a weak Malia, as they listened to her whisper, "He's going to die." She watched catatonically.

"Dad, please," Stiles looked with begging eyes. "Please just let me end this. I don't want to fight anymore, I can't do it, i can't kill anymore people." The tears just kept pouring out of his guilt-ridden eyes. 

"Stiles, listen to me. You are stronger then this, you can best this, you've fought to many battles for you to lose this one because you're afraid." Derek spoke words of encouragement. When he looked at Stiles, he didn't see that courageous, matured seventeen year old. Derek still saw the anxiety ridden, ADHD riddled boy with a buzz cut and daddy issues, so he truly means what he says. Stiles cannot go this way. He can't go the way of a victim when he's a survivor.

"Stiles put the gun down." Chris Argent ordered. But Stiles wrapped his finger around the trigger.

"Stiles don't do this! I love you, you can't do this!" The sheriff spoke caringly as he stepped closer, but Stiles closed his eyes as he trembled. He matched up the barrel of the gun directly over his heart against his chest.

"Stiles! Please no, no, no, no, please!" Lydia screamed hysterically as she froze in tears.

"Stiles, you pull that trigger, you aren't just killing yourself, your killing everyone who knew and loved you," Chris Argent said grimly, he was fairly familiar with the loss of family.

"I-I already killed them. I killed her," Stiles said quietly, referencing to Allison.

"Stiles," Stiles opened his eyes and looked forward as he heard the familiar voice of his best friend. "We're gonna get through this, we always do. Don't save yourself for others, for your family. Don't do it because you don't want to bring anymore pain to the ones you love. Do it for yourself. Because you freaking deserve it. Okay? You've saved me so many times, let me save you this once." Scott spoke to his best friend as he felt the arms of his mother wrap around him when Melissa tried to hold in her tears. 

The sheriff was a foot within Stiles' face as he held his hand out and placed it on the gun, wrapping it around Stiles' trembling fingers. "Stiles," he said quietly and the boy finally gave in, unwrapping his mind from the death wish and his father quickly pulled it away and onto the floor. Stiles came to a silence as his father embraced him tightly until Stiles' body finally gave in after grueling hours of pain and misery. He collapsed in his father's arms who then lowered his body onto the floor. The sheriff followed him and laid Stiles' head against his as his eyes wearily opened and closed repeatedly.

"W-what's happening?" Malia called out in sadness, feeling guilty for not being able to help him.

"He's dying," Lydia said so quietly in a room that was silent, making her words echo like hundreds of waves in the ocean. She felt Malia's fingers intertwine with hers with sympathy.

"Dad.." Stiles said, his body so profoundly weak.

"Shh.. Stiles, it's okay. It's okay if you want to let go," His father said with saddened tearful eyes. He never thought he would have had to watch both his wife and son die. 

Stiles looked up at him with barely opened eyes. "I'm sorry, I have to let go Dad.. it hurts." He winced at the words. The teen's body was dappled with blood, scars of his previous injuries were bloodied and his skin was a ghastly grayish tone.

"I won't let go Stiles, I promise I'll hang onto you. Just close your eyes." The older man said as he clenched his son's hand who squeezed his father's hand hard until all feeling was gone. Stiles' body fell limp, his eyes slowly closing and succumbing to the pain and chaos that is his life. Lydia covered her mouth in shock, she couldn't believe he was gone. Malia held her tight before asking a catatonic Scott if he was okay. Melissa went running to the two on the ground. "Just leave him, it hurts less this way," the sheriff said quietly to nurse who restrained herself from all means of resuscitation. He pinched at his teary when felt the hands of a pained Parrish and Derek on either shoulder.

Argent retrieved the black Oni mask from the box and threw it at the wall in frustration, shattering it to a million pieces so no one who ever have access to it and its power ever again. 

A sad silence flooded the room until Scott broke it.

"No. We're gonna save Stiles, he's not going anywhere."


	20. Never Choose Blue, It's a Sign of Defeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the last chapter! I left this on a cliff hanger so I could write a sequel in these upcoming few days :) this story isn't done just yet! Thank you for all the positive noted I've gotten, every comment and kudo are appreciated. This is the last chapter, but it is a longer one even with a time jump, so with that, I hope you enjoy it! By the way, the chapter title reads "Never Choose Blue, It's a Sign of Defeat" it's a twenty one pilots reference obviously (seriously? Who could've seen that one coming?)

Scott ran over to his dead best friend who lied still on the ground. The true alpha felt his heart pounding so profoundly fast, a rush surged through his system with overwhelming guilt. "No, no, no, no, no," Scott rambled quickly as he wrapped his hands around Stiles'.

No pulse. No heartbeat. No pain to force out of his body.

"Scott," his mother said, trying to gather every ounce of straight she had left in her.

"No, Stiles! We can save him! We have to do something," Scott blatantly shouted back at her as she continued to speak his name in an attempt to get him to stop.

"Scott, honey," Melissa whispered quietly.

"Stiles! Wake up! Don't do this, please don't leave!" Scott muttered as he cried hysterically. "I can't lose you too!" 

"Scott." The sheriff's gentle voice spoke as he held his son tightly against his own body. His voice has sounded so broken. John Stilinski placed his hand on Scott's shoulder. "It's over," he looked at him longingly. "Stiles always said, that he was the one who started this, he always said that he was always going to end it."

Scott cried silently, tears dropping onto Stiles' bloodied torn shirt.

Started.

Oh my god.

"Wait, started. He's right, he was the one who started it. So.. So to save him we have to go back to where we started." Scott realized as Lydia and Malia came closer.

"The Nemeton," Malia answered. Of course the Nemeton.

"Stiles is the only human who has a connection to it. Maybe it can bring him back," Lydia explained as she sniffles, glaring at Scott then Malia who all realized what they should do. 

The sheriff glanced at the nurse and then Parrish who was clinging onto Derek in pain. "I'll call an ambulance and the guys down at the station," he said, concerned for Malia and Parrish who were both injured. Melissa checked Malia who was in denial.

"Honestly, I'm fine," the were-coyote would always say.

Derek looked around amidst the scene which was no longer chaotic. "Damn it, she's gone" he said, referring to the Desert Wolf.

Chris had gone down the hall and come back. "Those three men are still here, they're knocked out cold and it's been a while."

"Forget them, we just gotta get Stiles to the Nemeton while we have time." Scott explained as Melissa offered to stay here with Chris to make sure Malia and Parrish got the care they needed with the ambulances. 

"We need Lydia to come with us so we can find it," the sheriff said as he and Scott lifted up Stiles, who felt heavier than he looked. Must've been all the muscle he's bulked up on. With assistance from Derek, they pulled Stiles out from the building and into the sheriff's car. As they drove off, they took a different path when they noticed the multiple squad cars and ambulances. John just prayed that Chris could make up a liable story to cover up all the supernatural events that just took place.

After multiple lefts and rights via Lydia, they had finally reached their destination before walking several hundred yards. At last, Derek, Scott, Lydia, John and Stiles made it to the Nemeton.  
\--  
Many paramedics walked in onto the scene in confusion, only to find a wounded officer, a teenage girl who was unconscious now, and three knocked out attackers. One of the deputy's colleagues spoke to a dazed Parrish.

"Jordan? Jordan. We're gonna help you okay? I just need to know what happened." The man spoke as he started to help the gunshot wound on his leg. 

"There.. There were.." Jordan spoke slowly, his eye lids drooping half way. "-were 3," he continued. "Attacked." He took deep breaths as he found it getting harder and harder to retrieve the precious oxygen.

"Jordan, stay with me here. Parrish!" The man called out before he witnessed his worker pass out. He seemed to be in okay condition under the circumstances as they got him onto the stretcher and into the ambulance, followed by Malia who has awoken in a gurney after previously passing out with dry blood on her lips.

"What -- what's going on?" She quietly asked Melissa who was near her.

"Sweetie, they're gonna help you okay?" Melissa squeezed Malia's hand that she held until an officer had borrowed the nurse for a few minutes to answer the questions to her and Chris Argent.

"What exactly went down here?" He asked grimly as he saw others handcuff three men down the hall.

"The were three attackers here, we saw them and came in because we thought they were out to get someone." Chris answered. 

"On a Saturday night? In the summer?" The officer countered.

Chris glared at Melissa. "We couldn't take our chances, Parrish is an armed deputy and Chris here is a trained weapon specialist, and I'm a nurse. Our resources were needed." She answered.

"What about the girl?" He asked, suspicious of the two.

"She was with me, she's the friend of my son, she volunteered to come." Melissa said, hoping he would just eat up the story and leave.

"Hm.. Okay, well you two should probably get going or to the hospital before we bring you in for a statement." The officer concluded before leaving with a blank face.

Melissa sighed with relief with Chris Argent as they drove their way to the hospital, following in pursuit of their fallen comrades.  
\--  
"Okay, okay, so how do we do this?" Lydia asked nervously, hoping not to do anything that will madden the supernatural gods or whatever the hell they were. 

"Uh.. J-just lets just put him down on it." Scott suggested, hoping Derek would shed some light on his idea.

"It's our best shot," Derek said. John nodded in agreement as all three of them helped each other to place Stiles down on the stump and they did so, extremely carefully.

But nothing happened.

"W-what.." Scott said quietly, disappointed.

"Maybe we need to give it a little more time," Derek said.

A minute of nothing but agony passed.

Still nothing.

"Why isn't it working god damnit!" Scott became incredibly frustrated as he started to punch the wood of the 1000 year old tree stump. "Why. The. Hell. Isn't. It-" Scott punched the stump in between each word, and the sheriff and Derek let him get his frustrations out. "Working!" He punched it one last time before Lydia laid a hand on top of his to stop it. Scott winced as he felt a burning sensation in him, and it wasn't just from punching the wood. It was something else. Lydia's fingers lingered on the wood.

And the Nemeton started to glow.

Everyone glared at her like she had just murdered someone.

"Wait. Lydia, do it again." Derek said. She laid another hand and a blue aura glowed once again, before she took her hands off in fright. But this was not stronger than last time.

It was the banshee's power. 

"We need a multiple power sources." Derek said prominently. "Lydia, I promise it will not hurt you, you can save Stiles. It's up to you. Just put one hand on Stiles and one on the Nemeton. Trust me." The instructions echoed in her voice.

All she had to do was put down her hands to channel the energy and so she did.

And it worked.

But only for six seconds, of course. Just their luck.

"It-it's not working!" Lydia forced her hands down with pressure, tears running down her cheeks.

Derek thought long and hard. Back to where we started.. Derek thought about Stilinski's words. That's it. Stiles had started it, but not just with Lydia, with Scott. Stiles was the reason why Scott became a true alpha because Scott needed to save their parents that night. Stiles pushed him until he became the wolf he is today. "Scott! You need to do it too! You're part of the start, you and Stiles, you started it, but you aren't going to end it today!" Derek spoke strong words as he looked at the sheriff. The father looked like he was going to break down at any minute but he had to be strong. 

Scott looked at his own hands. He caught a glimpse of his tattoo of his two bands, it reminded him of the pack. Of Stiles. He needed to do this, he had to do this. So he did. He took Lydia's hands and intertwined their fingers together, locking them with strength as they carefully placed one hand each on Stiles' abdomen and one each on the wood. 

The familiar blue aura started to glow again, getting brighter and expanding as they held on longer. The two physically felt weakened as the force got stronger and stronger and started to illuminate. They groaned as the force picked up speed and strength and they felt themselves losing control. Derek and the sheriff took a step back as Scott held onto Lydia tightly as they yelled against the mysterious blue light. It spread until it swallowed the entire tree stumped and glowed under Stiles' body, swallowing the term as well when the blue steam shined over him.

"Scott! I can't hold on anymore!" Lydia yelled as chaos rose about in the forest. The wind picked up forcefully and stole the leaves off all of the summer trees, leaving them barren. The sky quickly filled with dark, gloomy clouds. 

"Just-- a little bit-- longer!" Scott yelled back to her as Derek and John found themselves gripping onto the branches of a tree.

The blue aura grew and grew with such power and overwhelming strength until it just exploded, sending Scott, Lydia, Derek, and the sheriff tumbling to the ground.

And just like that, the winds stopped howling, all suspended leaves fell midair, and all those dark gloomy clouds cleared up. Scott got up to his feet, helping Lydia as Derek did the same with John.

Scott listened in cautiously, picking up a new sound he hasn't heard in a while.

The sound of Stiles taking a breath.

"Oh my god," Scott blurted out as he sprinted to the stump to find Stiles breathing. It was a miracle. Or not. It was supernatural. Stiles was still out, his blood was starting to slowly drip out of his wounds once again but his chest started to rise and fall. It was very slow, but it was there just like his heartbeat. 

He was alive.  
How the hell were any of them alive? 

Shit.   
Lydia and the sheriff came running, in complete shock that they had just brought Stiles back to life. "How did you-- what just-- oh my god Stiles. Stiles can you hear us? We're gonna fix you son, I told you we wouldn't let you go." The sheriff rambled as he grabbed the hand of his son. And for the first time in a while, when he place two fingers on his pulse, it was there.

It was finally there.

"We have to get him to the hospital as soon as possible!" Derek claimed as he helped pick Stiles up once again, his raspy breaths coating the air. They all ran to the car immediately and the sheriff started driving to the hospital as he called Melissa. 

"Melissa, Melissa, tell them to clear a bed for Stiles." The sheriff said proudly as he continued to drive.

"Oh my god, he's alive!?" Melissa asked, astonished. "How did they do it, I mean th-that's impossible even for them--" 

"I don't know, but we have Scott and Lydia to thank, and Derek," the Sheriff quickly gave a smile to all three of them before putting his eyes back on the road. "We'll be there in a few minutes. How's Parrish and Malia?" He asked.

"Malia's already up, she's fine, just a small concussion but otherwise she's good. Parrish is in surgery right now getting that slug out of his leg but he's expected to make full recovery." Melissa explained before hanging up to let John drive without worry.

Lydia wrapped her arm around the unconscious injured teenager, she thought just maybe if she hugged him tight enough, he wouldn't be broken anymore. Maybe she could put all his pieces back together. But instead, Scott just held her hand and told her everything was going to be alright. Because for the first time in a long time, it might just be true. Lydia just rubbed the small of her thumb up and down the bruise on his cheekbone, soothing it slowly.

Finally, the sheriff pulled up into the dock of the ambulance bay where Dr. Geyer, Liam's stepfather, was waiting with his team. The trauma team with him assisted in pulling Stiles out of the car without causing further injuries. He already lost so much blood, it didn't look good.

"Alright Stiles, we're gonna help you, just fight." Dr. Geyer spoke proudly as they placed him onto the gurney. "Let's go! Everyone minute not doing something to help is a minute wasted!" They immediately wheeled Stiles into surgery in full speed. 

Lydia, Scott, Derek, and the sheriff all met up with Chris and Melissa in the ER. "How is he?" They asked of Stiles.

"They just took him to surgery, hopefully he makes it. He's strong. And he got some great support." The sheriff smiled, not hiding his exhausted face very well as well patted Scott and Lydia's shoulders. "Where's Malia?" He asked caringly.

"We gave her some meds to fall asleep, she was pretty confused but it's gonna be alright." She said smiling. "You all should go home, you too Chris. Stiles is safe here, we won't let anything happen." Melissa said sympathetically. 

"I've gotta get down to the station, the guys are waiting for some reports on a crazy tale about a possessed boy under wraps with a cover story." He smiled goofily as he slowly left, tired and exhausted but thankful that his son is okay. He's thankful that he didn't have to live with the fact that Stiles died in his arms, at least permanently.

And the group wouldn't have to wait long until their best friend was in his own private room, and out of surgery a few hours later. Stiles was hooked up to only a few machines as the teens walked in with Melissa to talk to Dr. Geyer.

"So for right now, we put him into a medically induced coma, just a short one so his body can recover. But what's so peculiar is that the tendons he severely damaged in his arm, are perfectly healed. And the bullet holes are barely pierced scars in his skin. Really, it's a miracle Stiles is even alive. I suspect something more to the story but for now, I'm going to credit your great friendship, you guys really helped him fight his battles. You should be proud." Dr. Geyer explained. They didn't have to worry anymore. Stiles would wake up in a few days when the meds wore off, and they wouldn't have to ever worry about the nogitsune ever again. Scott vowed to never leave Stiles to be that vulnerable ever again. 

They took turns every hour, sitting in that room, hoping, just praying for their best bud to pull out by himself. Sometimes his no longer injured hand would twitch and cause Scott or Lydia to perk up, waiting for him to open his eyes. By that time, Malia had waken up to the news that he was alive. She even admitted to crying when she did in front of Lydia who supported her fully. 

Grueling hours passed as the news of the boy who survived two gunshots as a hostage surfaced throughout Beacon Hills. The news talked non stop about how much of a fighter he was, only to be kidnapped from the hospital and rescued by his friends. Lydia, Malia, and Scott had all gotten much deserved recognition and support from kids they didn't even know went to their school. Many had come by to support the gang and Stiles at the hospital, including Liam who was now there most of the time. 

A long time passed before Stiles would open his eyes. The estimate said it would take three days, but it had been a week when Stiles' room was full of flowers and balloons. The pack decided to all stay in at the same time with John Stilinski in the room and declare it only private and welcome to family members and mutuals. Quiet conversations went on and about, the hospital stayed busy. Life outside of those doors continued.

And then his eyes opened.

It wasn't a dramatic opening, no overwhelmingly loud gasp for air. He just woke up as if he was waking up from a good night's sleep. Slowly, then all at once.

The sheriff and then the friends all jumped, his father leaping to his son quickly as Lydia called over Melissa and some other nurses.

"Son, son we're here, it's okay, we're here for you. I told you we would hang on," his father chuckled and smiled, ecstatic that Stiles was up. He held his hand tightly as his friends surrounded the bed as he laid hidden underneath an oxygen mask. Everything has felt like a dream, but Stiles knew it was all too surreal. He knew he was the one who hurt his father, who hurt Malia. Stiles pulled down the mask to hear his own raspy, but strong voice.

"Dad, I-i hurt you, I hurt all of you, and all you ever wanted to was help me." Stiles said painfully as he looked into his father's tired blue eyes. 

"Stiles, it doesn't matter what the hell you do, especially when none of this was your fault. We love you, and that's all that matters." Malia spoke gently. 

"I was weak.." Stiles admitted.

"I told you it was okay to let go, you were stronger then ever you were willing to sacrifice yourself for everyone else. And we hanged on in there, Stiles." The sheriff said, with a certain light in his eyes that lit up whenever Stiles looked at him.

"Thanks old man," Stiles chuckled weakly, plastering a goofy smile on his slightly bruised face. The least he could do was at least pretend he was okay. At least Stiles could wear a smile to hide what the hell had just happened. He would never be able to forgive himself because in the end, all he knew was that he was gonna hurt someone the next time.

To be continued.


	21. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to add the sequel story to this, I think it's a better idea. :-)

All Stiles could hear at one point was the rushing of the doctors and nurses flooding his room every 5 minutes to check his vitals, and the familiar beeping of the machines he had become so accustomed to. The doctors have declared him a medical mystery, because no human could heal their body like that, especially after what the teen went through. But Stiles isn't human.

I mean he is.  
But is he really?

Within the first five minutes of waking up after the whole dilemma, Stiles was glad to see all his friends healthy and alive. Malia was doing okay now, which Stiles still beat himself up for. Most of them had bruises, a result from Stiles' evil ingenuity but they were healing as well. But on the battlefield, mental wounds never heal like physical ones. Stiles would never heal. He never healed from junior year, and he'll never heal from that. It's the elephant in the room, everyone knows it, but they refuse to acknowledge it. It's simple really. Stiles was still in bad shape, he still had remnants of gun shot wounds, his heart was still weak, his anxiety was still a level higher than his tolerance but he would be out of the hospital in a week at most. 

God, he hated that place.

And God, why did he have to go through this. 

"Stiles, you have to get some rest," His dad told him over and over within only ten minutes of waking up. Stiles wanted to sleep. But after what the hell has just happened he didn't think it was going to happen anytime soon.

"Dad.. I'm fine," Stiles said in a strained voice. He wore a smile, but a face of hurt and tears hid behind it. His father frowned at his weak injured son. Stiles wasn't fine. No one was fine, nor will they ever be fine. The Desert Wolf was still MIA, Derek has spontaneously disappeared, Parrish almost died, Stiles died, came back to life as a spirit AGAIN, then died again, and then came back to life again. Productive day.

Even though Stiles' body was in shut down mode, his mind wasn't. It was just shooting at ideas like NASA shooting rockets into space. What if he hurt Malia? What if he hurt Lydia? What if he killed Scott? What if he killed his dad? What if he never snooped around? They wouldn't be in this mess. Right? What the hell ever happened to this hospital's security? Why the hell is the Desert Wolf back and where the hell was she? Where's the Hales? Questions, lots of questions but no answers.

"Stiles, stop thinking, I can hear everything," Lydia announced with a concerned look at the teen who's eyes were half opened. His face was still bruised up and eyes seem to have permanent eye bags. Oh right, banshee. He forgot. The boy who annually gets possessed by a spirit and his best friend is a werewolf forgot his lady friend was a banshee.

"How long have I been out?" He asked.

"A week." Scott answered back. "But you're feeling okay now, right?"

"I feel like hitting a wall with a baseball bat." Stiles replied awkwardly. Aluminum is always better than wood, kid.

"Yep, he's back," The sheriff made them laugh with his spiteful remark. 

"How long have you guys been here? Why the hell does this place look like the hospital's gift shop threw up." Stiles sat up right, only to lay back down when John had forced his hand against the boy's chest.

"Well uh son, the entire Beacon Hills community likes you a little bit more than they probably should." His father kidded as Stiles' eyes fluttered open from a glassy daze.

"Yeah, kids we didn't even know came to wish you well. You're kind of a hero at school now," Lydia smiled sweetly after pursing her lips and trying to hide her pride for him.

"You say that like he wasn't already a hero." Malia added perkily. 

"You were on the news, everyone knows so I mean," Lydia finished off.

"Crap," Stiles said quietly as he reddened from embarrassment. 

"It wasn't too bad, just going on and on about how you were a fighter and a victim who really hung on, only to be helped by his best friends in the end." His father happily chirped with a smile.

"I.." Stiles stopped for a second, reminded of what happened. "I'm sorry that this-- all this shit happened. Stranger danger I know, but I was desperate. Bad things happen when I fix a broken Jeep on the road." 

"It's not your fault, it's no ones fault. Let's just be thankful we are all alive." Scott said sympathetically.

But not all of them survived. 

They were all thinking about the same thing, same person, and they all wore a face that said,"not all of us are," but no one had the heart to say it.

"Speaking of which- where is my beloved?" Stiles hastily pondered.

"At the station. It was towed there. Stiles you shouldn't be driving that thing anymore, it's becoming a danger hazard." Lydia totally 'mommed' the group before getting a weird look from Scott that told her to just stop talking.

"We'll get it fixed for you bud," The sheriff claimed. In fact, it already was. I mean for a piece of junk it is, the mechanic offered to do it for free for Stilinski's kid. John knew how important that thing was to Stiles.

The door knob jiggled at that moment and in came Melissa and Argent. 

"Um- We're gonna go get some coffee, we'll bring you some," Lydia offered as Malia and Scott followed and left. 

"Hey honey, how are you doing?" Melissa sweetly asked and took his temperature which was a little higher than usual, but to be expected. The kid just died and came back o life. 

Twice.

"Just dandy," he sarcastically said with a hint of a smirk. "Hey, thanks for like not killing me man. I really appreciate it." He spoke to Argent.

"Anytime, Stiles"

Stiles never realized how much Argent looked like Allison. Not really, but they do. Or they did. Ouch. He saw the weapon that could pack a punch carried in his back pocket hidden pretty damn well. 

"Does anything hurt?" Melissa came with a follow up question.

"Uhm yeah, actually not really but just like over here when I tried to sit up." Stiles motioned at his shoulder with his good arm. He didn't want to make a big deal out of it even though it still killed like a bitch, healed or not. 

"I'll get you something for that," Melissa smiled after seeing the pain in his eyes when he tried to hide his winced with sarcastic remarks. She marked something off on the board at the foot of his bed and made her journey outside into a vacant hall.  
\--  
Lydia, Malia, and Scott met up with Liam and grabbed some coffee, pouring 2 cups extra, one for John and one for Chris. 

"Why's the jeep so special to Stiles?" Malia asked Scott, he should know the answer. You know, he's got the whole "all-knowing alpha best friend" thing going on.

"It's not his mom's is it?" Lydia interrupted, suddenly feeling a little guilty for being so harsh about it.

"Somewhat. But his mom always loved the color blue. When he got it, it was when the sheriff was about to lose his job because of supernatural shit nobody could explain, so they had to sell one of Claudia's rings and used the money to repair the house and the rest was used to buy the jeep that was old to start with." 

"So he refuses to buy another one in blue?" Liam chimed in, saying what the rest of them were thinking.

"He refuses to get rid of the jeep he got by giving one of the last things he had of his mom." 

And everything clicked, and everyone could just hear that little "aweeee" sound effect go off in their head.  
\--  
Chris came closer to Stiles. "Derek went back, he's looking for her."

"The Desert Wolf? How is she not dead yet?" John brought himself in the conversation.

Stiles sat up with a hesitant groan for his shoulder but fought through it. "Why the hell would he do that? He's gonna get himself killed!" Stiles spiraled out. It's not like he has feelings or anything. Not for Derek. For who? Who's Derek.

"I tried to stop him, but I think he's with Peter." Chris continued.

"Peter's back in Beacon Hills?" The teen was about to laugh with such hysteria.

"Family reunion, lovely." John said when he realized that's where Stiles gets the sarcasm from.

"Either way, no one gets in this room or out unless they're approved like your dad and the pack, security measures." Chris scuffed at his chin, half expecting some crazed lunatic to crash through the windows to abduct Stiles.

"What about Theo?" John drew the focus of the conversation to someone everyone forgot about. Shit. 

"We have no idea, but now it's on my agenda. I should get going, got some stuff to work out with the police still." Argent paused before opening the door. "Get better Stiles," and he left before Stiles could even thank him.

Stiles' mind went soaring 500 miles per hour. 

"Theo? The Desert Wolf? Peter? I'm gonna have fucking nightmares for the rest of my life," Stiles said out loud by accident. "Er- sorry," he apologized for the swear when he father gave him a frown.

"Well kid, that's what happens when you run with Wolves. And the wolf happens to be a seventeen year old and so are you, so can you please just make it a few more months so you can turn eighteen?" The sheriff leaned on the railing of the bed. 

"Yeeeeeap." Stiles trailed out the syllables with a perky tone. "You're gonna miss me when I go off to college huh pops?" 

The sheriff rubbed his face, "sure as hell not gonna miss you coming home late night, possibly killed someone or possibly going to be killed, but uh, maybe I would." He chuckled a little then realized he used the wrong choice of words by the look on Stiles' face. "C'mon kid, you know none of that was ever your fault. You know it, Scott knows it, we all know it."

"Okay but dad, I dragged him out that night before school started, he got bit because of me. Or you.  
Because I'm pretty sure you would've killed me if you caught me." Stiles explained an flicked away the long dark hair strands that stuck to his face.

"If Scott could re-do that night over, I don't think he'd change anything." 

"If Scott did, Allison would've never died." He rebutted.

"Stiles, Allison would've never moved here because her father would have never came because Peter have brought attention by biting Scott." The sheriff ended the discussion. Damn, I don't know why he's the sheriff, he should be a freaking lawyer.

"Get some rest kid. You need it."


	22. Dead Phone Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter this time, I got a little time consumed haha. :-) enjoy.

Stiles refused to sleep. He didn't feel safe in his own body anymore. He looked around the room that seemed quiet as his father glared at him intensely, trying to pick up on what he's staring at. Stiles looked down at his chest that had multiple wires padded down around his heart and a few bandages, but he didn't see any blood on him. For the first time in a while, there was no blood on him. Stiles was still attached to an IV, but he would suck it up. A few stitches ran across his shoulder ever since the tendons seemed to "magically" heal. As for what's happened in the last week, Stiles couldn't talk about it. He couldn't stop thinking about it either. He almost killed his best friends and own father, and a woman who was like his own mother.

"Stiles, you can't ignore it." The sheriff admitted for him. But Stiles was silent and couldn't look him in the eye. "We have to talk about it."

"Talk about what?"

"Son, you're in shock. And I know the last thing you want to do is relive it, but it's unhealthy to ignore it." His father wisely claimed. It came from his own experience. He regretted not talking about things he saw while he served in the war. He regretted bottling up those feelings until they succumbed him in depression. John put his hand on Stiles'.

Stiles turned his head opposing his father's; he couldn't look him in the eye. Stiles' grip in his fingers softened against his dad's. 

"Dad, last time we said it wasn't going to happen ever again. How can we be sure it won't even after this?" Stiles' voice was so small and so strained in punched the Sheriff in the face. "I don't wanna do it." He tried to force it out of his mouth. "I'm just tired of everything," Stiles managed to whisper, ending the conversation.

The sheriff sighed and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. Stiles was right, about everything just like he always is. John was also tired of everything, but they can't stop anything. The world is going to keep turning, people are going to continue dying, destruction is going to keep on destroying. The sheriff noted a few officers coming towards the room and abruptly entering with a shaking of the door that slammed against the wall. It sent icy cold tendrils up Stiles' spine and he shot up right.

"Sheriff. Mr. Stilinski." One voice boomed. John and Stiles looked to each other who didn't know whom of them was addressed. "We're just here to conclude our investigation with Stiles' statement."

Stiles gave his dad a glare, unknown of how to cover up everything. The men came closer to Stiles and pulled out a pen and paper they were blotting down on.

"Can you recall the last thing that happened Mr. Stilinski? We still are unknown about what exactly happened," 

John prayed that Stiles' years of lying to the authorities including himself payed off in this exact moment. The men looked menacing, very intimidating as Stiles was frightened by them. 

"Um- uh.." Stiles stuttered, trying not to look at his dad because if he did, they would catch on. "I.. I don't remember anything. The last thing I remember is my- my jeep stopped one night." 

"He's been through a lot of trauma in the last week, haven't you already gotten a final report?" The sheriff chimed in, somewhat proud of what Stiles said.

The man nodded, "just some additives to finish up."

"How did You know I was here with Stiles? Or did you not? Or were you just planning to interrogate a minor without an official adult in presence?" John caught them red-handed as the men tried to make an excuse.

"We just needed a final statement from your son."

"Well I don't think I'm gonna be much help, so you should probably either do a better job with your work or maybe I can guide you to another career choice if you need the assistance, not sure how proud your parents would be with barging in on a hospitalized seventeen year old," Stiles' sarcasm was still alive and well while he tried to hold back a smirk. He seemed to succeed in pissing off the men as John tried so incredibly hard not to snicker. 

"That means leave," John finished off as he saw the dumbfounded investigators leave without any form of apology. John chuckled at his son. "Nice job kid. You sure you don't want a career in law enforcement?"

"I'm thinking about it. Maybe follow in the footsteps of my pops, maybe you know him. He's sharp as a tack, really great guy." Stiles grinned and received one back from his father, before realizing that Stiles was just trying to stay up, and actually needed to rest.

"Well, you should really get some actual sleep Stiles. I'm gonna finish some stuff up at the office with Melissa and then catch up with Hale and Argent." The sheriff got up and hesitantly let go of Stiles' hand, who's eyes were slowly falling as darkness creeped into the corners of his peripheral vision and soon fell asleep. 

Malia, Lydia, Scott, and Liam all crept back to the room, only to retreat because they didn't want to wake him. Scott looked around in the environment. Doctors were bustling in and around, asking Melissa about the boy who died and came back, twice, about the boy who was on the news ever since it all started, the boy was more loved then anyone could ever explain. He was loved and cared for by people he would never learn the name of. But it gave him a sense of security, a sense of safety, that anyone was looking out for him.

Scott felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out, only to find a call from Derek.

"Derek? What's up?"

"Scott- Scott," Derek was panting out his name. Scott almost dropped his cup in worry.

"Derek! What's going on?!" Scott almost practically yelled into the phone and got weird looks from observers around him. 

"Scott what is it?" Malia asked.

"Scott-" Derek groaned loudly. 

"Derek! Are you okay! Tell me where you are, I-I'm coming!" 

"No- no, im healing- Get Peter," Derek's voice started to get smaller. 

"Peter? As in your uncle?!" Scott perked his head up in worry as his friends hounded him.

"No as in my ballet teacher- yes him! He's coming. She's-" Derek was talking slowly and wasn't putting in as much effort to pant on the phone anymore. "She's back."

The phone line dropped dead. 

"Derek! Who's back!? She's back- who! Derek!" Scott yelled on the phone until he realized he was talking to himself. Scott started to panic, because who the hell wouldn't?

"Scott, tell us what's going on!" Lydia yelled when she felt it. She felt something bad, something wicked comes this way.

The doors of the hospital swept open through the emergency door, but it was only a single figure. 

Peter fucking Hale.

"Scott- we've got a problem."


	23. Release

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat of a shorter one, so sorry about that. I'll try to write them longer :-) this one does have a few swears so I'm sorry, I'll try to update in 1-2 days. Also, this is written on my phone And un-betaed so you'll have to excuse all my mistakes!

Peter stormed in the hospital. Son of a gun. He just waltzed in through the emergency ambulance door like he owned the god damn place. 

"Where's Stiles?!" Peter yelled out, in a way that sounded half concerned and half angry.

"Peter what the hell is going on? Where's Derek," Scott didn't bother to say hello.

"We have to get Stiles out of here- she knows he's here, it's not safe anymore." Peter ignored the alpha's questions.

"Scott what's going on?" Lydia asked as she fretted.

"You feel it don't you, you know someone's going to die Lydia?" Peter gave her a death glare as she swallowed hard. Worst part is, he was was right. 

"Who's dying- Stiles is getting better," Scott looked back at Lydia.

"Scott- listen to me, if we don't get Stiles out of here, not is only he going to get killed, but every innocent being that tries to help. Do you wanna be the cause of a mass killing?" Peter tried to guilt him into listening. "Scott."

"Where's Derek." Scott spoke in a renewed upgraded voice that sounded like the badass alpha he should be.

"He found her, and she got to him- but if you're going to let him slow you down then you're an idiot. You're an alpha Scott. Act like it." Peter's poignant poisonous personality destroyed all sense of humanity and the meaning of Scott's pack.

"We're going to go find Derek-" Liam started.

"You ignorant children, if you do you'll just get killed!" Peter fought with them as he glared at Malia.

"We'll just kill her first before she kills innocent people." Malia announced, and for the first time ever, she didn't receive a weird look from all of them about her declaration of murder.

"We protect those who cannot protect themselves." Scott said, bringing a very close friend who was still with them, back to the group in this desperate time.

"Oh you think Allison is going to help you now Scott? She's dead. Because of the nogtisune. Now everyone else and everyone you love will all be dead because of the nogitsune." Peter's words have never sounded so cruel and threatening to Scott ever more than that moment.

"She died saving her friends! Because you freaking bit me!" Scott lunged at Peter in an attempt to attack him when Liam pulled him back, restraining the teen from causing more trouble. They didn't realize how much ruckus they were actually causing as Melissa's attention was reached. She immediately walked over with a disconcerting look that reeked of scorn.

"Scott what's going o-" Melissa stopped her sentence as soon as she noticed Peter.

"Melissa."

"Peter.

"I was just telling Scott here that there's a psychotic bitch after his best friend and she knows that he's here." Peter explained with a malicious smile.

"How do we know you aren't working with her and this is all just a ruse?" Melissa lifted her eyebrow, catching Peter and his wicked ways.

"He's not." And out of the blue, out came Derek Hale, freaking bleeding heavily and panting for his dear life as he hung onto his shoulder and to the wall when he slipped in between the emergency lot doors.

"Oh my god, Derek--" Melissa immediately ran over to aid him when he started to toddle. "What the hell.." 

"Ugh humans. So fragile and sentimental. He'll heal. The baby just has to suck it up like the man he was raised to be." Peter sneered. 

"Scott, roll over that cart!" Nurse McCall demanded as she called Lydia and Malia over to help. Ladies to the rescue. Scott quickly gave her a cart nearby that was loaded with materials and equipments that were used to save people's lives everyday in Beacon Hills Memorial. She's practically supernatural, or a superhero, maybe not. But she's super something. Derek dragged his body down the wall until he sat down as he winced, pierced from the Desert Wolf's claws remained buried in his shoulder.

"Stiles- we have to get, we have to get Stiles out," Derek heaved and winced again as Melissa pulled off his shirt and proceeded to clean the wound right there in the middle of the hall. He didn't feel like fighting with Melissa so he let her patch him up.

"We can't just take Stiles," Scott pointed out.

"I uh- I can get that arranged, you just have to wake him up and call his dad." Melissa shouted out as she sterilized the wound and plopped a bandage tightly over it. 

"What do we say?"

"Everything- whatever you need to, just let him know."

With the help of the girls, Derek was all fixed up very quickly, that and he was starting to heal now that he wasn't as dazed and losing as much blood. Peter immediately dashed to Stiles' room with Scott and Liam in behind when a man stopped them at the room's door. "He's not taking visitors right now." The man stated as he looked at a clipboard.

"He is now. I'm his uncle, haven't seen him in over two years, I just want to see my nephew, please," Peter's acting skills had come in handy. Or maybe it was the years of lying to himself. Either way it worked.

"Fine, one at a time please," The man said as he let only Peter in.

Peter walked in cautiously. Part of him wanted to be nice and not wake up Stiles and just let him rest. The other bigger, more decisive part wanted to rattle his world and send him into a spiral downfall. Peter came to the edge of the bed before murmuring something about needing all these machines to help humans breath because they're pathetic imbecile creatures and a illegitimate excuse for life. He slowly growled Stiles' name harshly as he intensely stared at the boy. 

"Stiles." Peter whispered as Stiles stirred.

"Stiles." He said a little louder in a normal voice.

"Stiles get the hell up," Peter became impatient and his tone developed a sassy attitude.

Stiles' eyes fluttered until Peter's appearance came into focus. His body trembled and jump back in shock and fear. 

"Oh my god Peter!" Stiles exclaimed, such a rude awakening. "What the hell are you doing here? Did anyone even let you in here? Where's Scott? And Derek and Everybody else and why the fuck are you here instead of them--" Stiles' babbling was cut short by the rude man.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you, but if you don't leave, the Desert Wolf will. She knows you're here, she attacked Derek because she knew he was helping you. So if you don't wanna hurt anyone else, then you have to get up right now and change." Peter explained.

"What? This is quite a story, really I commend you on your performance, tell me-- are you taking anger management classes Peter? I really see improvement in your social behavior." Stiles spoke sarcastically, just to humor the guy. But then Scott and Liam barged in, despite what the man said. 

"Stiles-- he's right, we have to leave, now. My mom already checked you out. You're healthy enough to get out of here, even though everyone's a little worried about that." Scott explained to Stiles when he handed him a bag that had his clothes and shoes.

Stiles looked at both of them all doe-eyed. 

"Well? Get off your ass." Peter demanded. 

"Dude I have a freakin' IV attached to my body." Stiles exaggerated his gestured that pointed to multiple layers of tape that kept the needle secure in his arm. Peter gave him a smirk. "Don't do it." Stiles made a scowl. "Don't do it Peter."

Oh but he did. 

Peter quickly ripped out the IV all at once, leaving a trail of blood from Stiles' arm that ran down his skin and all its cracks. Stiles yelped in pain. "What the fu-" He tried to stop himself so he wouldn't attract any attention to the suspicious looking scene. Hmm. Seeing a grown man rip out an IV out of a teenager with a devilish smirk as two boys watched probably wouldn't haven't been easy to explain to the hospital staff. But then a minute later, his arm stopped bleeding. It made the situation only a tiny bit better. Stiles reluctantly took the clothes and changed quickly as Scott called the sheriff, informing him of the entire situation.

After minutes of frustrations and yelling, Scott convinced the sheriff to call Melissa about it.

Stiles came out looking normal now. All his scars were covered up and he didn't look like a terminally ill patient. "Okay, so if we can't stay here, then where are going? It's a hospital, it's literally the safest place to get attacked," Stiles didn't realize what would happen if the Desert Wolf attacked at the hospital.

"She'd kill everyone here, not just you." Peter opened Stiles' eyes.

"Yeah okay how about we kill as little as possible, or maybe even no one?" Stiles suggested with a smart-aleck timbre.

Melissa came in with Malia and Lydia. Derek trailed in later now, with his shirt back on but it was still bloodied. 

"Okay, I checked out Stiles, no questions asked so if anyone asks you tell them to come talk to me. I'm assuming you're not going back to the loft or your house?" Melissa referred to Peter who shook his head.

"She doesn't know Stiles' house, does she?" Malia asked.

"Let's hope not, because we're going there to think of a plan, it's the only place she's never voluntarily ambushed." Peter claimed. 

"Wait- you don't have a plan?" Stiles looked to Scott.

"Sorry Man, our brain of the operation was out of commission." Scott said when he referred to Stiles. It really sucked though, because Stiles always had a Plan A. And when Plan A fails, which it never really does, he has a Plan B.

"We'll think of that later, but we need to get there fast before she strikes. The sheriff's gonna meet us there," Melissa stated as they all headed, receiving weird looks from nurses and doctors who were passing by. She's already made it clear to the other doctors that they'll come back to pick up their things but they had to leave now because of a family emergency.They looked like a tag team of misfits. 

By the time they had gotten at the house, there were cars of multiple reports parked in the front of the house who all wanted to talk to them about what the hell had happened. News had already gotten out that Stiles was released. As soon as Stiles saw it, he panicked.

"Take a left on this street and then a right when you get to the really big tree." Stiles directed as Derek who was driving took note of and drove up that route, unseen by the gossip greedy reporters. He took the right and continued the drive past the homes until he came to a dead end and ended up in the back lot of a couple of homes. And one house down, was Stiles' house. In genius, Stiles had lead them their way to the back door. As they entered, Melissa came to her conclusions. 

"We're going to leave your poor dead to deal with all of those people?" She asked tenderly. 

"I mean, he's the sheriff so he'll just scare them away. Something like he's on official business," Stiles used his infamous hand air quotes.

They all sat around the dining table, hands folded over one another as they brainstormed ideas. 

"Okay, let's just get this in order. The Desert Wolf wants to kill Stiles now?" Scott asked in confusion.

"Scott she literally said to me, 'I'm going to kill Stiles and all his little friends'," Derek recalled. Well, how monotonous.

Stiles felt too emotionally disturbed to even talk about it. "She said she wanted me part of her pack. Well the nogitsune."

"But there's no other way to get the nogitsune in you anymore besides the bite, which apparently you're going to be immune to now, so she's don't with you." Lydia explained her thesis. Stiles looked at her for the first time in a while very deeply. He looks at her cheeks that were pale, and her lips that were stained by day old lipstick. Her eyes weren't sporting any makeup. In fact, they were swollen and red no matter how she tried to cover them up.

She was crying earlier. 

Stiles took his glance off her, not to be rude. 

"Now that she's not able to access the power- she doesn't need you. You're left out in the rain like a single dad who forgot about trash day." Peter remarked, taking a slash at Stiles' personal life. He couldn't help it, the kid was just sitting there all defenseless, he just had to swing to see if Stiles wanted to play ball.

"Seriously why is he here? He's not even helpful!" Stiles pointed at Peter with that familiar scorn and a squint of the eyes.

"He knows the Desert Wolf more than any of us- he's resourceful." Derek said as he left Stiles to his muttering. It was at that moment when they had all heard a simultaneous uproar of reporters louden and antsy. 

"My Dad's home," Stiles guessed. 

After a minute of some awkward silences and yelling in between the two forces outside, the sheriff came in through the front door all stressed out and annoyed. He walked through the house only to find everyone having a meeting without him. 

"You fed me to the wolves," The sheriff said ruthlessly, staring at Stiles.

"Sorry," he bit at his lip.  
\--  
Meanwhile, the hospital had taken a turn for the worst. Everything was chaotic when an innocent man turned up all slashed and dead at the scene which they blamed a "mountain lion" for.

Oh please.  
There aren't any mountain lions in California, don't be ridiculous.

Don't be ridiculous.

Turmoil and trouble rose as the doctors frantically search for answers. 

And then she turned up.

She looked normal, the Desert Wolf. Except for you know, the multiple pistols hidden underneath her jacket when it was the middle of spring. She went up to main desk, and as politely as she could, the Desert Wolf asked the man.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where Stiles Stilinski is staying?" She gave him a sweet smile that was just part of her facade.

"Oh, the boy who survived all those gun shots." The man looked at the screen. "What a tough kid."

"Mhm yes, very. What was it? Gun shot wounds?" 

"Yep, poor kid got his bell wrung. Miracle. They've beenlooking for the attacker for a little less than two weeks now." The man squinted his eyes as if he read something wrong the first time. "What is your relationship to Mr. Stilinski?"

"Oh, just a family friend." She replied.

More like that Crazy bitch who just decided to invite herself over for thanksgiving.

"Huh. It looks like Stiles was discharged about half an hour ago." The man itched at his head and then got confirmation from another nurse. "Yep, he was already released."

"Oh, well." It took her a minute to think of her next move. The house.

Check mate.

"Thank you anyways," The woman left the hospital in disruption and chaos that it already was. She didn't need to make it more complicated. Besides, the damage she planned to do was more permanent. By the time she was done, the hospital wouldn't even be an option.


	24. She's Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize profusely for the amount of errors in this! This is unbetad which doesn't help with the fact that English is somewhat my second language (it's complicated xD) thanks for all the nice comments! Enjoy this fast paced chapter!

Soon, the outside of the home was empty and restored to its original form, lacking the preened of noisy reporters and animals who were hungry for gossip. 

Lydia, Malia, Liam, and Scott all sat at the table around Stiles, pensively watching and listening to every groan or wince. Stiles was still weak. He was still too weak to run, not like he was fast to start with. He was still recovering from some supernatural shit that he'd never be able to explain. He was still going to get nightmares. He was still going to break down at night because of what he did.

He was still going to remember what he did. 

"No matter what we do, we watch out for each other's backs. Got it?" The sheriff announced as he put his hands down on the table, laying down the law. "That's directed at you Peter," he finished off with a stern look.

"Yes yes I'm very well aware at your subtlety thank you very much," He smirked.

"And we keep Stiles safe." Scott added.

"Well maybe I should just hide." Stiles said kiddingly.

"We don't know what she wants if she even wants Stiles, like we said, Stiles has no power now that we know what sets off the nogitsune." Melissa calmingly spoke. 

Stiles felt his eyes threaten to close when he tucked in his knuckles underneath his chin to hold him up with his elbow on table. He was just so tired. Lydia nudged against him when his body teetered to the left a little.

"Stiles you okay?" Scott asked in concern.

Stiles fixed his position and widened his eyes. "Y-yeah," he stammered.

 

Melissa glared at him condescendingly, worried that he would collapse at any given time. And then what really startled all of them was that the doorknob started to jiggle. They all wore a face of fear and worry. Death lurked in the air. And something pungent; That made Scott, Peter, and Derek wrinkle their nose.

"Nobody move." The sheriff ordered as he put his hand down on his gun that was tucked away in his back pocket.

Another knock emerged from the door as the older man got closer to the door.

"Hello? Guys it's Chris, open the damn door." 

And everyone finally got the catch their breath again.

The sheriff drew a relieved breath when he opened to door to Argent, letting him. "I hope you came armed," Derek grumbled.

"Why am I not?" He grinned as he pulled out two guns from his pocket, and one box full of wolfsbane bullets.

"Chris it's kinda scary you got those but I'm thankful for it so I'm just gonna shutup," Stiles chimed in.

"You five might wanna stay away from these," Argent referred to the werewolves as he held the wolfsbane bullets that made Scott's eyes water. He remembered the last time he dealt with wolfsbane, when they had used it to help Stiles, and even before that Theo had poisoned his inhaler with it that made him impeccably weak.

"How long do we have?" Chris asked as he loaded the guns with the bullets.

"Not long." Lydia felt a sudden urge, a sudden drop in her stomach and a tumble with her heart.

"Do you have a plan?" Argent raised his eyebrows and gave a gun to the sheriff.

"Yeah. Don't get killed, and don't get Stiles killed." Liam claimed, leading Chris to the thought that no- they didn't have a solid plan.

"Here's what you're gonna do, Peter and Derek- she's already had a piece of you so she's not gonna bother, she'll just push you aside so you two have to jump her first. Then Malia, Scott, and Liam will back up- because you can all heal. Stiles will go with Lydia, somewhere hidden- wherever they can find outside, up a tree, behind bushes, whatever, Melissa, John, and I will back the five of you up because we'll be armed and so will she." Chris spoke intelligently as he prepared his weapons.

"Where are we going to go?" Malia questioned validly.

"When exactly are we going to do this-" Scott's thought was interrupted by a loud bang and then silence.

"Now." Lydia grew catatonic and she felt Stiles trying to cover his trembling body.

"It's too late- she already knows we're here." Chris looked around, trying to find an escape route. "Everybody, up, Lydia, Stiles you two have to leave now."

"She's outside! She'll see us," Lydia protested as she tried to hide the tears of fright behind her eyes and grabbed Stiles' weak hand. 

"Go, just go and hide!" Melissa yelled at them as Lydia dragged Stiles by his hand down the hall. He panicked as he had to catch his breath. Chris guarded at the front door, hiding behind the kitchen's wall post and the sheriff hid at the back door, both of them ready to ambush. Malia, Scott, and Liam all huddled before running off to aid the sheriff.

"Guys- whatever happens, we keep Stiles safe, got it?" Scott said and received a firm nod from both of them. Melissa followed with panic in her eyes. Derek and Peter abetted Argent.

Another bang.

It sent icy tendrils into Stiles' blood. It sounded like gunshots. It made he relive every single horrifying moment of the last few events. "Stiles, come on!" He heard Lydia say.

Another bang. 

Lydia tightened her grip as Stiles' heart picked up and she swung him around the corner. Lydia suddenly stopped as she heard Stiles gasping for air. And then she heard something else, something like footsteps. Damn it.

The Desert Wolf.

And just like that, as Stiles and Lydia were rounding the corner up the stairs and into Stiles' room, they both heard a large bang. The Desert Wolf had just taken down the entire door with claws.

Somebody's got anger issues.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Stiles whispered repeatedly as Lydia tried to calm him down. 

"Stiles shh it's gonna be okay." Lydia locked the door and tried to tune out the cries and slashing that was going on down stairs. They both leaned on the door, Stiles panted for breath. 

"She's gonna kill them, she's gonna kill them Lydia-" He started and he began to pull on the doorknob. 

"Stiles- no" Lydia stuttered, releasing his hands from the door. "It's fine. Everything-" she drew a sharp gasp, "Everything will be fine." She couldn't make herself believe it.

"You stopped." 

"What?" Lydia drew her eyebrow as she tried to distract herself from all the chaos and violence.

"You stopped. You know something," Stiles pushed his eyebrow and made that puppy dog face that sad 'save me.' He stepped closer towards her.

"Stiles what are you talking about?" Good good, this is distracting him too from all the fright.

"You know who's gonna die."

Lydia felt herself stop breathing for a second.

"Who? Lydia- please tell me, I have to save them, they can't die because of me, I started this, I started this Lydia, please," Stiles begged as he rambled profusely. He wasn't going to let someone else die because of him ever again.

"Stiles I- I don't know who, I swear I'm sorry," Lydia closed her eyes and felt tears run down her face as she strengthened her grip around his hand reassuringly. Sharp screams echoed in her eyes that made her let go and cover her ears. 

Scott. 

"Scott! That was Scott- we have to go help!" Stiles yelled out as he restlessly played with the door and ignored the tear streaks forming down on his cheek. He opened the door and ran out, listening to Lydia scream out his name.

"Stiles!"

"Scott!?" He looked down the hall to see Scott collapsed on the ground, bleeding slightly on the chest. Oh my god, oh my god. Stiles ran to his best friend, immediately locking his gaze with the Desert Wolf.

"Ah, the man of the hour." The Desert Wolf smirked as she grinned, taking an easy shot at Stiles with her weapon and blasting a bullet right at his chest.

"Stiles!" Lydia screamed as she by-stands at the scene.

Malia came speeding in, faster than light as she pushed Stiles out of the way, allowing the bullet to pierce through her own shoulder. Malia yelled out in pain, but was thankful when she realized they were regular gunpowder bullets, and not like Chris'. 

"Malia!" Stiles yelled, in tears as his face reddened in exasperation.

"Stiles- go! Now!" Derek yelled as he and Peter worked to handle the Desert Wolf while the sheriff and Melissa helped the fallen. 

"Stiles, it's okay, just go!" Melissa scolded the teen as he was pulled away by Lydia who grabbed his bloody hand once again. His hands. 

They were so bloody.

He couldn't keep up with Lydia as he panted for breath in exhaustion. His body still wasn't ready for the usual 'running away from supernatural psychos' thing once a week. "C'mon Stiles!" Lydia yelled at him, trying to keep the rest of her tears back in.

Another punch was flown, and another body thudded against the ground.

Derek.

And then Chris.

And that's when Lydia realized, that there wasn't just the Desert Wolf as someone crept up the back porch door they approached. It was a Familiar figure, with long stood up hair and an impish grin.

Theo.

"Stiles. Stiles go back, back to your room, now-" Lydia warned as she pushed back.

"Lydia-"

Then an idea struck her. Because Theo would see where they were going. He knew. 

"Stiles, where's the attic?" Lydia asked frantically. 

"It's- it's a drop ladder in the hall of my bedroom." Stiles replied as he was pulled again in speed by the strawberry blonde who was pretty fast on her feet. 

 

The door opened.

"Stiles. Nice to see you again." Theo grinned maliciously as he stepped towards them. Stiles held Lydia close to his body, very close as they stopped.

"The feelings not mutual Theo," Stiles sneered as he cautiously stepped back further and further, until he felt himself running backwards with Lydia and then up the stairs as Theo followed. As soon as they made it to the hallway that presenced his bedroom, Stiles pulled down the stairs to the attic while looking back every second. By the time he had gotten it down, he could the the tips of Theo's hair bobbing up and down. 

"Shit." Stiles whispered as he helped Lydia up into the attic and followed, but Theo had saw. Immediately, Stiles shut the chute and started to curse profusely. "What to do, what to do," Stiles thought for a moment as he looked into the attic that looked like it was clean enough to be a guest room. Stiles stammered before finding a lead pipe that was sitting around in a box and jammed it with the chute. "Oh my god, where the hell my bat?" He wondered to himself. Stiles should've kept a spare in the attic for times like this. 

The chute rattled at the end seemed to unhinge. "Uh Stiles.." Lydia pointed at the chute that was starting to get loose. Stiles put his hands on his head. 

"There's not other way out," Lydia claimed as she analyzed the area.

"Wait." Stiles stopped as he saw a stream of light.

The window.

"No, Stiles- you're crazy. What if we fall? You'll kill yourself!"

"We're going to die if we don't do it anyways!" Stiles rebutted when he knew he won the discussion because he has a point. And Lydia knew that. She helped him open up the window and flinched a little when she heard the chute crack open just a little bit more.

"Hurry hurry," Lydia frantically spoke as he helped her find her balance on the roofing of the house. "Oh my god, we're gonna fall."

Stiles looked back, he could see the chute was half way opened, Theo was almost up. "Okay- okay uhh don't look back, or down, okay? Just, just close your eyes and take small steps to the left okay? Just follow my voice." Stiles reassured her as he grabbed her hand and she nodded. Lydia forced her eyes closed, allowing the built up tears to pour out of her eyes. Stiles knew they just had to get around the corner because there was a ladder that he had saw that was never taken down in the back of the house. But of course, this was easy for him, from nights of sneaking out of his room to help Scott with the full moon. But it's not so easy for a girl who was terrified out of her mind. "Just like that," Stiles continued until they reached to corner. "Okay Stop." Stiles first slipped his left leg down as he let go of Lydia's hand, catching balance on the ledge of the first story. Lydia yelped when he released her. "It's okay, just- just pretend like you're going to sit down, and then swing your legs forward."

"Stiles I really don't want to do that," Lydia protested before Stiles so Theo out of the corner of his eye. But Theo was a chimera. He scales walls for fun. 

"Lydia, if you don't, you're going to get eaten alive by a crazed chimera, okay? Trust me- I've got you." Stiles strengthened his grip on the ledge with one hand, praying to God that he wouldn't drop the poor girl, or let go and have both of them fall to their death and get impaled. Lydia closed her eyes and did what Stiles said, and when she opened them, she found herself tucked tightly around the boy's arms.

"Ok- ok down the ladder," Stiles let her go down first. Attaboy Stiles. You don't have to cry and break down through every crisis. It really doesn't help. Stiles quickly scaled down the ladder and ran quickly with Lydia, sprinting with Theo in behind them. They bobbed and weaved until they ended up on the sidewalk, right by the front door. Theo instantly appeared in front of them.

Oh, and they were so damn close to get help, and to help the others. Stiles hugged Lydia tight.

"It really is sad that it has to end this way Stiles. I really did like you." Theo stated condescendingly. 

"You aren't gonna get away with this!" Lydia shouted at him in frustration. She longed to just give his face a good punch. But before she even could, a strained Liam came running up behind him and giving him a nice clock to the noggin.

And out goes Theo Raeken, ladies and gentleman.

"Dude!" Stiles said in relief and a bit of shock.

"What? He said I was an underdog."


	25. Crimson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I really tussled around with this chapter, I couldn't decide how to write it but I got it done somehow. This is not beta'd, the only thing I own are my typos and mistakes. I apologize for it being so short. I'll start to write them much longer.

Stiles and Lydia stand in shock at the sight of Theo laying unconscious on the front pavement. Thank god John never liked to live in a busy neighborhood, or else the nosy neighbors would have already had gossip blogs ready at their disposal.

"We have to go back and help them!" Stiles yelled out to Lydia and Liam.

"No- you can't," Lydia stated canonically, gripping harder onto Stiles' hand.

"I'm not gonna stand around and let them die because of me!" Stiles raged as he forced his fingers out of her grasp and started to sprint towards the front door.

"Stiles!" Lydia screamed. 

She had a feeling.  
It wasn't a feeling more than it was an urge.

"Stiles!" She repeated, as Liam ran after him but didn't make it in time, only for Stiles to bust down the door to total chaos.

"Stiles! Stay back!" He heard Malia scream out in pain as he saw the shadows lunging at each other in the hallway. Malia's wound was still bleeding, but he saw a bullet on the floor and assumed it was the same one, noticing that the wound was healing up considerably. Before Stiles could even take another step, the Desert Wolf was throwing punches at Derek and Scott, as Chris and John worked with Peter to get an aim. Liam and Lydia stepped in front of Stiles trying to persuade him to leave. The woman lunged at Derek, throwing him fiercely at the wall with ease as he landed with a thud and a groan.

The Desert Wolf took account of the added heartbeats in the room.

"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to join the fun Stiles," she smirked before receiving a strong sucker punch to the jaw. "And you two." Liam and Lydia turned around at the cock of a gun. They watched as they tried to help their friends as the woman pranced around with both of the Hales, eventually getting cornered by Melissa who she didn't expect. 

"Drop the weapon," John ordered, coming in hot with Chris, fully armed with wolfsbane equipment. 

But she didn't. She pulled her claws out instead, as they carefully traced the trigger of the gun playfully. The woman locked eyes with Stiles.

"Stiles- get out." 

Not one body flinched. The sheriff didn't even look back to dictate to his son.

"Stiles, now!"

Stiles started to step backwards, gasping as he felt a sudden choking feeling when someone wrapped their arms around his neck, tussling around with his body. Stiles grabbed and tugged at the arm, realizing that it was Theo's. 

"Put it down!" Argent yelled at the Desert Wolf who was smirking as they directed their attention to Stiles. The boy couldn't get out of his grasp, he felt his esophagus literally concave into his trachea, causing a hole obstruction in his body. It felt like that time he ate a Lego as a kid and it got lodged in his throat so far, his parents had to take him to the fire department first with the EMTs because the emergency room was too far a ride. He felt his skin losing color as he tried bending over as he choked, in between the elbow of the chimera.

"Release your arm- now! And you won't get hurt." The sheriff ordered, suddenly pointing the gun's barrel at Theo, but really, the bullet would land in Stiles' body in which he used as a shield.

"Do it. Shoot me." Theo threatened, pulling his claws against Stiles even farther against his bones. Stiles started to feel dizzy. 

"Dad don't-" Stiles rasped as he barely managed to get the words out. His teeth clenched in between his words, desperately clinging onto whatever oxygen he can get but he feels his body getting ready to give in. It wasn't built for this to start with. Even with the whole healing process with a magical tree, his body still can't handle the long distance running, or the high of the adrenaline, or werewolves.

The Desert Wolf cocked her gun one more time, pulling it up into the air, pointing it towards Stiles and Theo.

Lydia needs to scream. 

"Put it down!" Chris yells out infuriated.

"Do it." Stiles spoke, causing everyone to turn around in disbelief. "Shoot me. Kill me." He felt Theo's grip lighten a little, allowing him to take deep breaths within his rant. "If you kill me, they'll just drag your ass to jail and let you rot in a cell. If you don't, I'll still be alive to get your ass in there anyways." Stiles grunts and lunged forward, releasing himself from the teen's grip and delivers a strong kick to Theo's stomach. Theo goes down with a large groan that turns into whining. 

What the hell?

"Stiles-" John states grimly, desperately clinging onto the gun and points it at the Desert Wolf. He stood behind Stiles slightly.

"Shoot me." Stiles whispered again as he narrowed his eyes, he was literally writing out a death wish.

"Stiles," Derek intervened.

"Do it."

"Stiles!" Melissa chimed in.

"Really- you humor me, you think I'm gonna waste my time on you?" She sneered. "You're useless now, I just came here to finish my job."

"Stiles move what hell!" 

But Stiles couldn't, his legs were glued to the ground. He tried so hard to let his macho manly side out that he forgot his anxiety and fear inside his body, allowing it to take control of his limbs. 

"You should really just stop your little facade charade game. You aren't a hero Stiles, you are cowering behind your own father! You're just a a helpless, weak, little boy and that's all you'll ever be." 

A shot was fired.

Bang.

"Stiles!" Commotion started as they all started shouting his name when Chris fired at the Desert Wolf, nailing the wolfsbane bullet directly at her, and watched her dead body slide down the wall. 

Stiles was almost 100% it hit him. He couldn't hear anything, his thoughts clouded his ears. Or maybe it really had shot him and the pain was just too much that it felt numb. He didn't know what he was saying, probably incoherent mumbling and crying, because he felt the tears running down his cheeks. Lydia was making a face, it looked a lot like her screaming. Scott came running at Stiles with Derek, latching their arms onto him as he was oblivious to his surroundings. What was going on? He saw the Melissa, Chris, and Peter ran past him as Malia held onto Lydia, trying to get her to calm down. Why were they running past him? Scott looked into Stiles' eyes, and Stiles could barely hear him calling out his name. It was the shock taking over his body. Stiles' vision bobbled down.

He saw his father's gun down on the ground.

It wasn't long before Stiles had turned around, to find his own father, his hero, lying still on the ground, bloodied and wounded. It took him a second to realize the bullet had grazed his left shoulder just barely, and right into his father's heart. He started to feel the pain from his shoulder, the flesh around it looked like a bad bloody rug burn.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" He heard Melissa yell out desperately as she tried to to do triage herself, applying pressure to the wound that bled profusely. Stiles couldn't process it. No, no, no, no, no this isn't happening. This isn't real, this cannot be happening. He felt his breath hitch, it felt worse than when Theo was actually choking him. Like I said, it was the shock taking over his body. Stiles stepped back, his hearing was still muffled and he was oblivious to all the screaming and shouting of the chaos. He felt hands still clenched onto him as legs turned into jelly. 

"His heart isn't beating, there's no pulse!" Melissa cried out, knowing there wasn't anything she could do but she just had to try for Stiles. She had to. For Stiles.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't talk. He couldn't move. The shock, he wants to say it is. But he's well aware of what's going on. But Stiles just lets all of his feelings take over his body, and he drops, collapsing on the floor. From the shock.

"Stiles! Hey wake up, Stiles stay with us-" Derek talked to him and tapped slightly on his cheeks as Scott worriedly hover over everyone. 

"Tell them to hurry up!" Melissa shouted at Chris who was already on the phone. 

"It's an injured father and son... No he was shot to the heart.. Yes we called the- Yes.. No, no listen, he blacked out.. It's the sheriff and his kid!... No- don't tell me to calm down.. Okay.. Please hurry.. Thank you."

Peter called the station even though Chris was already on with the paramedics, it was just to deal with the Desert Wolf quicker.  
\--  
The ambulances and officer cruisers arrived with speed. The workers came in quickly to aid the fallen. 

"Shot to the heart, pulse started up very slowly, but it's slowing down with the heart. No other symptoms, but no breath." Melissa listed off to the EMT and paramedic as they helped the sheriff's body on to the backboard, cleaning up the blood with a package of bandage. Wires and a mask were already wrapped around the older man.

"We gotta move fast."

Another young paramedic went on to help Stiles. "Is this the kid who-" He stopped himself when he received a grim nod from Scott. 

"He was completely oblivious to everything and I don't think his body could deal with everything," Scott bravely spoke, getting a glance of reassurance from Liam.

"It looks like shock at this point, we'll know more when we get there," He straps a mask around his head tightly, and drowns out the small trail of blood that tinted his shirt's sleeve. They took both of them to the ambulances in the gurneys, knowing they didn't have a lot of time to spare.

A man came over to look at Malia's arm that had healed up nicely but with small blood residue and scarring in which he took pride to patch her up with before leaving. 

Parrish came in with shock in his eyes as he saw his partner and Stiles being wheeled out. The corners of the home was stained with a red crimson color, they had bled into the walls. Everyone looked absolutely mortified.

"What the hell happened?"

"It was her. And him. They got them." Peter referred to the Desert Wolf who was already taken care of and Theo, who was being handcuffed and walked away. 

"What about John and Stiles?" 

"The sheriff um- Stiles," Liam's voice broke. Scott, Malia, and Lydia couldn't find it in their hearts to answer him.

"Somebody fill me in damn it!" Parrish yelled.

"John's dying. Stiles isn't. He's still injured." Chris broke the truth about the elephant in the room.

"Oh my god.." Parrish whispered, "I-I have to be there." Jordan finished off before realizing he should following up with his own sheriff. It was important to him that he did so.

There was gonna be a lot of questions, and a lot of lying tonight. 

Scott ran to Melissa and she hugged him so tight when she heard his voice whimper, he had some blood on the side of his head that wiped onto her nurse's scrubs. "Scott honey."

"Mom." Scott buried his face deeper into her shoulder. "He's gonna wake up an orphan."


	26. Stitches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took a week for an update! I decided to take a vacation break with school coming up in a few weeks. Hopefully, I can get there last chapters in and then start a sequel. Hope you enjoy. I own nothing but the typos considering I did not beta, or check because of time constrictions, so if there's anything you want me to fix, let me know! :)

Melissa pulled away from Scott who was crying, the remnants of his solemn tears dried on her nurse scrubs. Her nurse tennis shoes squeaked against the pavement as she ran out to the ambulance with the sheriff, and Scott slipped into the one with Stiles. Derek, Peter, Malia, and Lydia all followed in the car behind them.

Melissa stepped into chaos as the men worked on the sheriff. His pale color already started to turn white, as if he didn't have an ounce of blood in him ever. 

"Is he gonna make it?" Melissa asked softly, trying to help as much as she could. 

"We're gonna do the best we can." The EMT analyzed John's body. It looked like it had just barely missed the heart's main ventricles, but it still punctured a lung. It wasn't enough to keep him alive. The blood eventually came to an end as the sheriff stirred, not even being able to grown because of the profuse pain that had become numbing. The lights shot at his dull eyes, the pain being too much that his body can't respond to anything. He saw Melissa's curls, and then her concerned eyes drew in.

"Okay, Sheriff. We're gonna help you okay? Just relax." The man spoke as he read off his vitals to Melissa. "Just a few more minutes."  
\--  
Scott held on to the edge of the gurney that braced his best friend. The EMT ended up pulling Stiles' shirt off, leaving his chest bare as he cleaned up his bloodied skin. Stiles kept his eyes closed, but his arm started to drift up when he was coming to. His fingers danced on top of the oxygen mask, trying to pull it down.

"Stiles buddy that's gotta stay on, okay?" The paramedic said as he reinforced his hand on top of Stiles', pushing the mask back on. Stiles groaned, his eyes being welcomed by the bright lights and noises of metal tinkering surrounded him.

"What- wher'.." Stiles mumbled in a daze before a fire of panic shot through the walls of his stomach.

"Stiles-" Scott just wanted to reach out and grab his hand and leech every drop of pain in his body, but he couldn't. Not with those adults around.

"Scott where's my dad?" Stiles started to breathe heavily, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves as he frantically looked around for the missing father. His pulse skyrocketed at the point.

"Stiles, relax," the paramedic tried to calm him down. Stiles felt the anxiety trying to eat him alive, forcing him to lunge his body forward with a surge of fear, feeling the blood boiling underneath his skin. His chest shot up as the teenager exclaimed.

"Where's... my... dad!?" His words were interrupted by gasps of air he was sucking into his lungs forcefully. He said the mantra repeatedly. "Is my dad okay?" He asked again, Scott pushing down on his body to keep him from hurting himself. The man braced himself down with his shoulders.

"Let me go! Where's my dad!" Stiles shouted in agitation, his face turning red from exasperation when he couldn't breathe.

"Stiles, you have to calm down." Scott repeated, looking at him in the eyes. "Look at me, look at me. Deep breaths man, deep breaths." The teen's chest heaved heavily, up and down erratically, and he locked gazes with his best friend who seemed to help a little. Stiles shut his eyes tightly, trying to fall away from the pain until he felt something cold go through him. The paramedic took a syringe to the IV and entered fluids into his bloodstream.

"What- what is that?" Stiles said very meekly. 

"It's just to help you calm you down." The man reassured him as he sees Stiles' eyes dropping until they close and his limbs go limp. 

It was a frantic and horrifying few minutes until the paramedics pulled out a sedated Stiles from the ambulance, in behind his father. Scott could just see the nurses and doctors pouring themselves over the sheriff, trying to to save him. 

"Mom!" Scott yelled out to Melissa, who just gave a solemn look back and ran into the emergency room and followed the doctors. They didn't allow Scott any further in the hospital so he stayed with Stiles when they put him in a smaller walk-in patient room. 

"We're just gonna get his shoulder cleaned and stitched before he wakes up, we will release once he does but the police are going to want to talk to him. Actually, and you." The doctor came in and settled the teen into the bed with the help of the EMT. Scott sat down in the chair across from the bed with a tense face, using every drop of willpower not to let his anger take over. He watched as the nurse took over and cut through Stiles' bloody shirt and removing the remnants off his body. She used a little pad with what smelled like antiseptics and it made Scott's nose scrunch up. He could smell the freshly grazed skin on his best friend, he could smell the blood. It sent shivers down his spine with icy cold tendrils. The doctor pulled down the bed so Stiles was laying straight, and then a slab in the bed to use as an arm rest and pulled his arm laying flat on it. She had her materials in a pan right beside her. Complete silence flew by as she concentrated on stitching up the deep wound after it stopped bleeding vicariously. Scott listened into their heartbeats- it was amazing to him that the woman's was so calm and steady as she held someone's life in her hand. Literally. Within three stitches, she cleaned up the wound and threw a bandage packed over it and cleaned up. 

"That should do it. If there's any pain when he wakes up, then he can take an Advil or pain meds. If it still goes on he should come for a visit." The woman explained as she looked at her watch. "He should wake up in 30 minutes at the least."

Scott tried to give her the best smile he could at the moment. "Okay, thank you." The doctor nodded her head and made her way to the door before being stopped by Scott. "Um- do.. If you hear anything about the sheriff's- his dad's condition, could you let us know?" 

"Of course." The woman left.

Scott felt his phone buzz from multiple texts from Lydia and Malia, asking where he was. He drifted out into the waiting room, to find them talking to Derek as he walks to them.

"Scott what's going on?" Liam asked, urgently waiting for an update. 

"I don't know, I was just with Stiles- got stitches and he's sedated. He won't wake up for about 30 minutes at the least." 

"Do you think the sheriff has a chance?" Malia asked.

Lydia shook her head.

No means no.

"It's a miracle he was still breathing after the shot." Derek chimed in.

"Where's Chris?" Scott fanatically looked around.

"He's at the station with Parrish and Peter getting things situated."

"But they got them right? They got Theo and The Desert Wolf?." Scott needed a solid answer.

"Yeah. The station took Theo and she's dead. But they want us in for questioning soon." Derek answered.

"Scott McCall." A voice said behind them, turning all of their heads to meet one of the sheriff's officers. 

"Or now."

"If you don't mind- I'd like to have a chat with you." The tall man seemed genuinely caring and friendly as Scott rose a brow, hesitantly going to the room with the man and took a seat.

"Okay Mr. McCall, here's what's gonna happen. You tell me exactly what happened, you get a good lawyer, and we'll get you the lightest sentence." The man spoke grimly as he sighed, folding his hands.

"W-what?!" Scott was appalled. "You think I did this? Seriously!"

"Your DNA was found on one of the weapons that belonged to the bullet used to kill the woman." He read off a report.

"Yeah! Because that's my blood because she attacked me!"

"If there was blood, then where is the injury?" He said matter-of-factingly. 

Scott wanted to punch someone. Or claw them apart. But he couldn't, he needs to hold his composure. He wanted to lift his shirt and show him the gash he received, when he realized that he had healed completely. 

Because you know, werewolf. 

Scott stuttered. "A-are you serious! I'm his best friend! Do you really think I'm going to kill somebody?" 

"Yes you are Scott, you're Mr. Stilinski's best friend, which makes you the prime suspect of killing the woman who shot at his dad!" He stood up, slamming his hand against the table.

"I didn't do it!"

"Officer Hunt- Jesus Christ!" A familiar voice yelled out after slamming the door open. Oh no. Oh god no. It's not who Scott thinks it is.

"Uh-" The officer stuttered and fixed his posture as he fixed his eyes on the higher authority figure.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I don't think you have a warrant to be interrogating a minor with a legal guardian present!" Yelled out Agent McCall.

Agent frickin' McCall.

"Dad.." Scott whispered as he saw the man in front of his very eyes. He remembers the last thing he said to him was "see you at graduation." It really screwed him over. Scott felt like he just opened a wound that he was hiding, but it had left a scar with all those stitches trying to repair their relationship. 

"Out. Now. Before your commanding offices hear of this." Raphael McCall demanded as he stood proudly in his black slick suit.

"Yes sir." Immediately the man pulled down his reports and sprinted out of the room.

"Dad. What- what are you doing here?" Scott stammered. He was just chalk full of stammering today, how fun.

"Well Scott, when a double homicide- or what looks like now a shooting attack and attempted slash successful murder in beacon hills including the Sheriff- then it's my duty as the FBI to come check it out. Also, I had a hitch you and Stiles were involved."

"His dad was shot, he could be dead soon! I-I swear it wasn't me! And Stiles just got out of the hospital and Theo and her and we didn't see it and it all happened so fast-" Scott started to ramble before realizing his eyes were tearing up.

"Scott, slow down okay? I believe you- I know. Two guys- Peter Hale and Chris Argent who were for some reason there came down with Parrish to clear it up. They still want you to go down. But not until you're ready." The agent soft, lacking a hard, rough timbre in his words and that showed off his gentler side. McCall so desperately longer to hug Scott, but he thought it was too soon. So instead he went with saying, "Son, are you okay?"

Suddenly Scott didn't see the drunk alcoholic coming in at 2 in the morning at night. 

He didn't see the man who missed his first lacrosse game because of his selfishness.

He didn't see the man who broke his mother's heart, who broke his family in half, who deserted his asthma riddled son.

He didn't see the man who drank instead of played catch with him.

He saw his dad. 

And then it clicked.

Because through one man's trash, another finds his treasure. Through one loss, is another win.

Scott found his dad. 

But Stiles was gonna lose his.


	27. In A Blink of An Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm so sorry it took a month for an update. The thing is: I didn't really know how to write this part. I've been reading over the comments about the fate of the sheriff, and to be honest I have written about seven different drafts of how this chapter could have played out. So if this isn't the way you wanted it to play out, I'm sorry. I'm looking for more of a versatile ending that can trail off into a sequel which I will be writing. So with that said, I hope you enjoy what I wrote even if it's not how you wanted it to play out. There will be one more wrap up chapter! I own nothing but all those damn typos. Thanks

It was about forty-five minutes before Stiles had woken up to his confusion. The searing pain grew in his shoulder, as did his fear but it slowly shrunk into a crevasse deep in his mind. The bright lights had welcomed him into the world for the third time in the last two weeks, but he was alone in the room. He pulled himself together, getting up from the bed and held onto the wall. He waited for the dizziness to fade then Stiles realized what kind of situation he was stuck in. He also realized that he had no shirt on, and was stuck. He looked around and saw his slightly bloodied shirt lying around, scoffing at the lousy attendance of the hospital and threw it over his body. Stiles wearily creeped out of the room, looking out into the hall as he felt better, but he needed to find someone. Stiles needed someone's shoulder to cry on. He needed to find Melissa, Lydia, Scott, Malia Someone.

Someone.

He felt his body ache as he made his way towards the waiting room. Melissa was right, he wasn't ready. He had left the hospital too soon. Who the hell leaves the hospital the day after they wake up from a week worth of a coma?

Stiles damn Stilinski.

"Stiles." A voice said. "Stiles are you okay?" He felt strong hands hold his body up by the shoulders. "Stiles." He could hear the voice. But he couldn't really hear the voice.

The teen snapped out his trance, revealing the brawny face of dark hair and stubble that was Derek Hale, and behind him was Chris. "Ye-yeah," Stiles stammered and got back to his feet. 

"What are you doing up?" Argent asked, concerned for his health.

"I woke up, I-" Stiles flung his left arm to rest on his right shoulder, trying hard not to wince. 

"You need rest Stiles." Derek brooded. He doesn't think he's trying to sound menacing. Maybe it's a caring-menacing.

"I need to see my dad, where is he?" Stiles was determined to find out about his dad's condition as he made strides towards Melissa and to his shock, he saw McCall surrounding his friends.

"Stiles- glad to see you up." He gave a genuine smile. Stiles was waiting for Raphael to crack another witty remark, but it never came to his amusement. Maybe it's because he felt sorry, or maybe because he can't bruise Stiles' pride anymore because there's nothing left. 

"Uh," Stiles decided to play nice, but couldn't think of anything to say. Thankfully, Melissa intertwined when his face shot red with either embarrassment or anxiety, or the blood boiling under his skin.

"Stiles- your dad's in surgery right now." 

"How's he doing?" Stiles tried so hard not to cry in front of everyone at the mention of his father, and fidgeted with his arms once again.

"Well-" Melissa hesitated, she didn't know what to say to the boy, she couldn't crush his soul with negative thoughts, but she should let him know. "It's touch and go, they don't know what's going to happen, they said the bullet knicked one of the main arteries in the heart just barely, technically speaking it's an easy repair, but legitimately it's one of the hardest things to do when the body is at its weakest." Melissa explained and she could see Stiles' emotions go from a 50% to 0 within the last seconds. 

"Touch and go? No- what do you mean touch and go? There should be no touching and going, there should be fixing and staying." Stiles rambled on with a flabbergasted expression. 

"Stiles- they're trying their hardest," Lydia reached out and put her hand on his arm. 

"Well they should try harder!" He shouted out loud in frustration. 

"Stiles man maybe you should sit down," Scott interfered.

"No Scott! I don't want to sit down." Stiles huffed when his face started to smoke with frustration. The strangers in the room watched as spectators, the drama rolled out in front of their eyes.

"Stiles. Sit," Agent McCall demanded as he watched the teen plop down into the seat with glossy eyes as they held back a waterfall. His elbows rested on his knees and he buried his fingers underneath his chin with folded hands. His temper plummeted as did his confidence.

Melissa briefly left and waltzed back with a water bottle, handing it to a torn Stiles. 

He tried so hard not to cry.

He tried so hard not to cry.

Hours passed of in between conversations, ramblings about different views of the same stories emerged for the cops as they questioned. Each of them had said the something.

"It all happened so fast."

And it wasn't a lie, because it truly all happened so fast. So fast, a boy was found, so fast he died and came back to life, twice, so fast his killer hunted him down, so fast his friends tried to defend him, so fast she shot at his father. 

So fast he had lost him.

Stiles didn't speak much within those three hours of waiting. All he could do was sit down, rattled with his fingers obsessively. All he could think about was how much he wanted to murder Theo Raeken, but he knew he can't do it. It's not like he's done it before.

Oh wait.

Well, there was Donovan, but that was a matter of self defense. It was a just end for a heinous attempt, but it still managed to haunt Stiles in his dreams. Every time he looked at his father, he only saw a man who was a victim, suffering from Stiles' own doing. He managed to drive him and his mom crazy as a kid, and finds a way to do it now apparently. John should've never been a victim, it was all Stiles could think of. He should've never had been targeted by the Kanima and Matt, or the Oni, or Darachs, or the chimeras. Or Theo. All this could've been avoided if Stiles didn't take Scott out into the woods that night. One thing, can have a domino effect on your entire life. Stiles felt guilty the more he thought about It. He felt more responsible for the harm caused to everyone. 

"Could you please describe to me, in full detail, how Mr. Stilinski was injured?"

"It- it all happened so fast," Lydia said with tears in her eyes.

"It's a hard thing to brace Ms. Martin, I know, but any information could help us."

Lydia cued her acting skills and all the waterworks, "I-I'm sorry, I can't - I can't relive it," and she was telling the truth. Talking about it could only make it worse for how everyone was actually feeling. Of course the tears were a bit dramatic, but she didn't know how to explain a were coyote murderer and within a minute she was excused, only to go to comfort Stiles who was trembling in his seat.

"He'll pull out." Scott said.

"Yeah, he's a Stilinski you guys always pull out." Lydia added reassurance.

But Stiles couldn't say anything- Shock they said it was. More like reality.

"Stiles-" Malia sat near them with Liam. "Everything could be fine, we don't know what's going on."

"What if- what if everything's not fine?" Stiles croaked out, his elbows laying on his knees with desperation. "What if something happens?"

"Nothing's gonna happen." Scott added.

"Scott- the last time we were here, I almost ripped your head off because my dad was in the same place he is right now!" Derek, Chris, and Raphael could all hear the ailing teenager. Stiles felt the searing pain in his shoulder once again.

"Deep breath Stiles," Melissa reminded him, and she watched his exasperated worry face puff out air in a huff. His eyes formed worrisome creases lined with glistening tears. Just like his mom used to tell him when he started crying because he received one bad grade in the third grade. She always knew how anxiety-ridden he was, and she always knew how to make it better, make him feel better. He just wished she was here right now. Or maybe not really? The more that Stiles thinks about it, the more he realizes it's better off, why would he want her to suffer too? 

He didn't even realize the trail of teardrops he shed.

It's only a matter of minutes when a doctor approached the group, layers upon layers of papers wrapped in between his arms. It wasn't Dr. Dunbar, but rather a surgeon who tucked himself inside a lab coat. The entire group stood up and came together close and spoke with the man and bombarded him with questions.

"Is he alright?"

"What's going on?"

"Is my dad okay?"

Nobody could focus until Melissa caught everyone's attention. "Dr. Lane. What's the news?"

The doctor looked up for a split second as if praying for strength and then focused on the group. "Mr. Stilinski.. The operation on your father was a very risky and minimal one." The man started. He looked shaken; frightened like a deer in headlights. Stiles felt his face go red, with everyone staring at him and all, but he knew it was coming. He knew it. "It was quite specific and demanding of a skill, skills of which we have of course but-"

"Get to the point, please." Agent McCall interrupted him. Stiles and Scott both felt like they were going to burst in flames. Spontaneous Combustion maybe from the mixture of guilt and anxiety?

"There were complications in the surgery." And that's all it took to make Stiles' heart disintegrate.

"What are you saying?" Melissa forced on him.

But Dr. Lane looked guilty, he didn't have the heart to say it. "We were basically done with the operation, we had just scrubbed out." He stopped and then received another stern look from the nurse. "Stiles-" The teen gave him a broken look, then looked at Melissa. "I'm so sorry." The surgeon plucks at his gloves, pulling them off in sorrow.

I'm so sorry. The words made Stiles' face go numb. 

What the hell.

He felt multiple arms wrap his body with a certain warmth, and sniffles here and there. But it took him a while to process.

John Stilinski was dead.

Stiles couldn't hear anything. It came once again, that moment of silence where everything has just so much clarity it's just so pure. Buts it came to bite him in the ass. He enjoyed the moment of silence, only for it to sink into his skin with a bruise.

Stiles broke down slowly, and then all at once. Silently, his tears expressed his sorrow as they dropped down his chin. He froze in time, it was that feeling again, like he was paralyzed. Shocked.

He heard his second family- his friends, call out to him, as they tightly embraced his body. 

Stiles was in disbelief. "No, no no no," he whispered as he tucked his eyes against his arms to dry his tears. He clinked for his keys in his pants, he needed space. He could feel the room spinning and shrinking off the anxiety in him. "No no no no no," Stiles repeated once again, pulling away from the group who stood shocked. 

"Stiles." Derek said.

"This isn't happening, this can't-" Stiles' face became exasperated as he looked around, every single person in the waiting room was watching him break down. "No- I can't," he needed space. He started to walk backwards towards to door quickly yet hesitantly.

"Stiles-" Scott was cut off.

"Give him space." Melissa stated as she held Scott back by the chest. Stiles looked at them with glassy eyes, before turning around and running off out the exit doors. 

"Humans are such weaklings and how could we ever think Stiles was any stronger?" Peter joked and showed a smirk and sported a slight chuckle. "He's like a dancing meerkat who cries when his mommy forgets to feed him."

"Shut up Hale," Agent McCall retaliated. 

Stiles could feel the tears building up in the back of his skull, he just wanted to cry and never stop. Stiles took a deep breath of fresh air. Fresh air does good. The world stopped spinning for a second. His lungs took a plunge into his ribcage and he could feel his will to live trying to claw its way out of his throat. Stiles cried as he ran his hair with his hands, clutching strands in frustration. He was completely oblivious to everything else as knuckles cracked when he slugged a punch at the wall.

And another and another. Somehow, he channeled his pain into rage, taking it all out at the hospitals' exterior walls in between sobs. He felt pain, physical, emotional pain, a dull pain in his arms and he could physically feel the bruising starting to callus against his fingers that were curled with frustration. Stiles continued to let his tears go, allowing them to wet his shirt. He couldn't focus anything- or he didn't know what to focus on. He just lost the most important man in his life all because of him. It just made him want to keep on punching until the world stops spinning so fast. He thought he tuned out the entire world until he felt a set of rough and raw, strong hands stop his own.

Derek. And Melissa right behind him.

Stiles stopped midair, as he felt Derek wrap an arm around his chest. He allowed his body to sink down next to the older werewolf's on the concrete. Stiles was shuddering and shaking and sobbing and muttering. 

"he's gone- he's gone- he's gone," Stiles hiccuped in between quietly. His eyes were so red, like he's been crying for a year none stop or hasn't had a good nights sleep in an entire lifetime. Melissa sat down right next to him, interlocking her fingers with his to give him support. Some of his knuckles looked scraped and as if they hurt; but she couldn't imagine it hurt more than losing his dad did. 

"I know it's hard sweetie, I know," Melissa tried to brush away the tears that threatened to plunge. 

"What am I supposed to do now?" Stiles asked ever so quietly. He sounded and looked so broken, so lost. Melissa tightened her grip on Stiles' hand, allowing him to heave on her shoulder. Derek could only sit and watch; he wasn't really a sympathetic person, but he's grown a soft spot for the teenager over the years. 

"I'm sorry Stiles," was all Melissa could whisper as she held him tighter, realizing that not had she lost her son's best friend's father, but more of an old flame of hers, her best friend rather. "I'm so sorry."

Derek wanted to say something to at least comfort him, but the words got caught in his own past. And it wasn't long until Malia and Lydia came running out, looking for their beloved friend while Scott and Liam followed immediately after.

Scott hovered above him, with eyes that looked like he was bawling himself. He held out a hand to Stiles. And to a surprise to the rest of them, Stiles reached out so desperately, clutching his best friend's arm and lifted himself off the ground in which Scott gave him a really comforting hug. Stiles' tears started to come to an end when it started to irritate his eyes because he had been sobbing so much. 

Lydia pulled him closer to her and whispered, "Please, be strong," and tightened her grasp around his hand in which she took note of the battered up knuckles. Stiles snuffled and did that thing with arm again, drying the tears against his fabric. He broke the silence with a meek voice and request.

"I- I wanna go see him."


	28. It's so Hard to Say Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh! Thank you for the immense support of this fic. I never thought people would like it! Thanks for staying with it even though I procrastinated through the entire story within the span of 7 months it took to post. So here it is, the last chapter! Ik there IS a LOT of mistakes but I wrote this at 11 pm so I could get it posted. Thank you so much :-) There will be a long awaited sequel.

Stiles cautiously allowed himself into the room that rest as his father's deathbed. 

Oh but he looked so.. normal. There were no wires contracting his every move, no IVs sticking painfully into his bleached pale speckled skin. He looked so alive yet so.. dead. The wrinkles around his eyes slowly crevassed around his eyelashes. The teenager never took attention of all of his features until now. He never realized how much he loved to see those blue pristine eyes until now. 

Stiles promised himself he wasn't gonna lose it, but he's not gonna beat himself up for breaking this one. He knew everyone was outside in the hall waiting for him, with the exception of Melissa who had slowly crept her way into the room. He felt the tears coming on albeit. 

And it was at that moment, Stiles knew what death was. And you think he would've by now. 

He's died.   
Twice.   
And he's came back. Twice.   
And he's already lost his mother.

But this. This was different. Stiles was saved by luck, by supernatural findings. Stiles finally knows what death was like. Death feels like lighting a firecracker, only for it not to go off. It feels like that thing your stomach and heart does when the teacher calls out your name randomly in class. Death is going to sleep silently and waking up alone every morning. Death is having no one to come home to after a long day. Death is chaos, and chaos shatters the mind, the soul, and the heart. 

He promised he wasn't gonna cry.

He promised he wasn't gonna cry.

Aw damn it.

The first tear wet his cheek, allowing all the pain to soak into the marrow of his bones. Stiles walked closer to him, throwing a quick glance at Melissa to acknowledge her. She watched silently as she tried to stay strong herself. 

Stiles put out his hand. He watched as it trembled, his fist covered with bruised knuckles unwrapped and laid itself on his father's. It feels cold to the touch. It feels like death. 

He let another tear go, and another and another. "I'm sorry." He whispered, as if talking to John. Melissa choked back, trying to hold her tears when she heard the boy. Stiles felt his face burning red, allowing more tears to pour when he voice started to break. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them, dad." He couldn't stop as this point. Melissa held her hand over her mouth. She couldn't let him see her cry. "It's my fault." Another whisper came out. His grip on his father's hand became tighter, and he didn't want to let go. "I never should've let go dad. I'm sorry- I'm sorry," the statement came out in short, sorrowful, cut weeps. 

"I'm so sorry." He stopped himself because he started to sob. Melissa gave herself permission to let a couple of tears roll down, and wrapped Stiles with her arms. Melissa couldn't let go of the teenager weeping in her arms for what was left of his parents.

She didn't say anything this time. She just let him cry all he needed to. All at once, the guilt and the fear, and the sadness all clashed together, hurling themselves at Melissa and Stiles at the same time. Still, she kept her composure.   
"I'msorryimsorryimsorry," Stiles repeated several times. Oh but he felt so damn guilty.

She couldn't say the same for the boy. And she know how bad it was for him until she realized that his body was still in bad shape, until she realized he was gasping- almost wheezing for breath in between sobs.

"Stiles, stiles honey breathe. You have to calm down," Melissa said calmly, laying her hand against his chest when it heaved roughly up and down. 

"I can't- I can't-" He said in between. Stiles' face was exasperated and frustrated, she couldn't tell whether he was panicking or his lungs were closing in and he was hyperventilating. Wheezes were produced out of his body until she grabbed his hand, squeezing on it tightly. 

"Stiles, come on- in and out. 1, 2."

He started to feel dizzy when a migraine started to intrude into his head. He found the strength to listen to Melissa and shut off all means of communication from his lungs to his brain, forcing his mind to just disappear for a second in the chaos of the hospital. 

"Stiles-" Melissa called out to calm him down when he started trembling in vain. He shook in between her, his arms fumbling around when he started to protest. 

"I did- I did this! He's dead- because of me!" Stiles was hysteric, hiccuping in between he sentences until he buried his sobs against the nurse's shoulder. 

"you're okay- it's okay," Melissa held him tight. Stiles listened to her words of comfort. He wanted to close his eyes, and when he opened them he wanted to wake up from a horrible nightmare. But that's not gonna happen. He's gonna go to sleep alone, and wake up alone. "Okay, Stiles listen to me- listen to me. Take it easy," Melissa said, holding his shoulder. He just needed to get out, he needed to go somewhere, anywhere, anywhere that's not here. He can't stand it anymore here. 

He needs to leave and never come back. 

"I can't stay here-" Stiles whispered, his voice- so raw and broken. He frantically looked around the room like a deer in headlights, his eyes getting red a puffy, his nose getting a pink tint.

"Look at me- look at me Stiles." Melissa cupped his face and looked into his eyes. She knew she was crying herself, she could hear the breaks in her speech. "This is not your fault, Okay?" Melissa's voice fell apart and crying had been evident. "Repeat after me, this is not my fault." Melissa sniffled hard, "c'mon Stiles, say it." 

He looked frozen, catatonic like. "This.. is not.. my fault." He whispered so quietly. 

"Good, good," Melissa smiled through the tear streaks left on her skin. She rubbed her thumb away at a tear that ran on his cheek as she spoke. "You're gonna go out now, Okay? And you're gonna go to your friends and you're gonna let them help you and comfort you, Stiles." Melissa sighed before finishing, "They're gonna want to say goodbye."

"I'm not ready to let go." Stiles claimed, looking back at his father, who's skin was starting to pale quickly.

"Oh honey." Melissa hugged him tightly, and before she let go, Stiles felt multiple arms of people who just entered the room around him, his friends more specifically. 

His second family. 

Stiles just felt himself start to cry harder. And all at once, he felt his body backstab him with shooting pains, fire coursed through his veins and suddenly he couldn't see in front of him until he blinked multiple times, Peter Hale coming into view.

"Stiles?" Scott said, as they all pulled away to give him space. 

Stiles locked eyes with the older man who gave a hasty grin.

"You." Stiles gritted his teeth.

"Who, moi?" Peter fancied.

"You did this! You and you're psychotic bitch of a girlfriend!" Stiles retaliated stepping closer to him, wanting to punch him so damn bad.

"I'm quite insulted that you think A I'm attracted to her, and B, the fact that it was actually in fact you who caused this Mr. Stilinski. She didn't hunt you down, you came to her. You played your own pawns in her chess game." 

"Peter get the hell out of here." Derek scowled at his uncle.

"He's right.. I- I did this." Stiles looked down at his trembling hands. What a perfect way to ruin the moment via Peter Hale.

"Get. Out." Derek repeated again and Scott showed his red eyes, before Melissa kicked his ass forcefully out of the room. 

"Stiles it was not you and don't let anyone ever make you think it was you." Derek tried to comfort the teenager, the others murmuring in agreement. 

A tall figure replaced Peter Hale in the room, Dr. Lane. He cleared His throat before quietly saying, "Mr. Stilinski.. I think it's time to say goodbye."

Stiles threw Melissa a glance, receiving a sympathetic one in return. 

Everyone waited in the hall to give each other privacy as they gave a final farewell to their beloved sheriff. Stiles decided to go last. Melissa was there by his side the entire time he waited, not letting go of his shoulder at least once.

Derek decided to go first, just to get it over with. He never really was a sappy guy, and he was never really good with death. He didn't really know what to do, except to say one thing. And he felt his eyes water as he did so, a flush of memories coming in.

"You probably don't remember this, but um.. thanks for helping me during the whole fire thing. And.. thanks for not thinking of me as a criminal low life." And that's all Derek Hale could say before he was going to lose it, so he walked out after saying, "Beacon Hills will never be the same without you."

Next came in Malia. She was shaken, and nervous. Extremely sad, she was. But she was also extremely grateful for having the man in her life. She sat down in the chair and started talking as if she knew he was listening, because in a way he was. 

"Oh god, I honestly don't know what I would've done without you or Stiles. I mean you- you took me in, you raised me for a good part of my life you gave and a roof over my head, you found my dad, you gave me Stiles. I don't really know what's going on between us right now, but we're gonna fix it. So, just take care of yourself okay?" She could feel the tears sneaking out of the corner of her eyes. "Say hi to his mom for him, he still dies on the inside for her." Malia had to stop there, she couldn't bare the sadness anymore. "Thank you." She whispered before leaving with tear stains on her cheeks. 

Liam was quick about it when he came in. He wished he had more to say than just that he was going to miss him. He wished he had a special memory with the sheriff like the others did. It didn't make him any less sad however. Just another awkward smile and a shrug, accompanied with a melancholy thank you. 

Next was Lydia. She had been crying anyways, despite risking her mascara that had already smudged. All she could do was think of all the things this man did. I mean, he basically saved her life more than once. And it all started freshman year when he found her naked in the woods, lost and alone. She knew from that moment that he would mean more than just the sheriff to her. John filled the void in her heart along with Stiles and it made her want to ball her eyes for a month. And it didn't stop at that. Then the bodies started showing up, piling up, scaring her to bits and pieces, and then there was the nogitsune. Let's not even go back to that considering what the hell just happened. And how could you forget about Eichen house and the Dread Doctors? You can't. And he was there for her, and so was Stiles. Because of that family, she's alive today. "I owe you my life. You saved me so many times I don't think you realized that, you saved so many people in this damn town... we'll take amazing care of Stiles, I promise."

Scott then came in after. What he said, it was just so simple and sweet and concise and it was everything. As like Lydia, Scott had experienced with the sheriff more. Besides his usual teenage demeanors that always landed him and Stiles at the station, John had always filled that missing father figure in his life. He had been there for the late night asthma attacks, for the fights he got in with Melissa, and even when John found out about the whole werewolf thing he stood by their side. Scott sat there in silence for a good minute, reminiscing about all his good times, where had they gone? He finally got up to leave after saying one sentence, "thanks.. dad." Melissa went in to say a quick goodbye as well. She tried not to cry anymore because she didn't think there was anything left to cry out. "You were a hell of a guy, John. We're gonna miss you, so damn much around here. We love you." Melissa finished off with a quick hug to his son and apologizing for his loss.

As Scott came out, he gave Stiles, who amazingly didn't cry, a strong hug for support before going in. Stiles pulled the chair closer and his own hand on top of his dad's cold right hand. "Hey dad." Stiles whispered. He sighed before continuing, trying to keep his breath intact. "I just.. wanted you to know how much I love you." He tried to continue on. Another deep breath. "Fuck. This is. So hard." The boy said very quietly. "Sorry, you always hated when I said that." He then apologized for the word, a small grin appearing on his face. "Remember that little league game you surprised Scott and I at? The one where you told us you weren't gonna make it, and then you showed up and we both hit homers and won the tourney for our team. It was like a billion years ago, buuuuut I never forgot that." Stiles chuckled softly to himself with watery eyes. "You're my hero, you were there.. for literally everything. Especially after, mom died. It was hard. I mean It still is really hard and.." he stopped his thought and buried his eyes into the inside of his elbow, drying his tears. "I don't know, I don't know really. I miss you already. Who's gonna scold me for riding the death box of a Jeep now?" Stiles tried to shed some light, he just didn't have enough in him to start crying again. He stood up on his jelly legs, "I love you so freaking much dad." He gave him one last hug before leaving the room, throwing a quick glance and smiling at John before closing the door. The immense outpouring of love devoured Stiles with hugs and apologetic smiles.

Everything around them was completely normal. Death was all around- especially in the hospital setting, but the world kept turning, the kids kept playing, the sun kept shining. Everyone acted as if all this death, it was normal. 

Dude, it's Beacon Hills. 

To be continued.


End file.
